Executive Fire Commissioner Charles “Chuck” Simms embodies dedication and compassion in his service to the citizens of Detroit. Appointed by Mayor Duggan as Interim Commissioner in 2022, Simms was confirmed as the permanent Executive Fire Commissioner in 2023. During his tenure at DFD, Simms has made it clear his commitment to excellence is unparalleled. Detroit born and raised; Simms joined the Detroit Fire Department in 1986 after graduating from Detroit’s Pershing High School. He started as a firefighter and earned his Emergency Medical License during his time in Fire Operations. He also served two terms as a union director in the 4th Battalion, which serves Detroit’s West Side. His dedication to his work and to the residents of Detroit earned him many awards and citations for his role in saving lives, including the Detroit Firefighters Association’s Citation of Valor.

After 15 years of fighting fires, Simms transitioned to the Fire Investigation Division, rising through the ranks to become Chief of Fire Investigations in 2014. Under his leadership there, arsonist arrests increased by 75% and suspicious fires in Detroit decreased to a 30-year low.

Simms was then appointed Second Deputy Commissioner in 2016, where he oversaw five key divisions and played a critical role in improving Detroit’s ISO score from 4 to 2. Simms served Detroit in that capacity until his appointment by Mayor Duggan to the role of Interim Executive Fire Commissioner in 2022.

As Executive Fire Commissioner, Simms continues to lead with a vision for a stronger, more efficient, and responsive fire department. In addition to achieving historic lows for Code 1 emergency response times under Simms’ leadership, the City of Detroit was named the largest city to earn the HEARTSafe Community designation (2024), DFD introduced a now annual Professional Development Conference and launched a series of webinars aimed at educating the community in fire prevention and safety, among other key topics.

While in the fire service, Simms attended Wayne State University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master’s degree in educational psychology. He is also certified in Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, demonstrating his dedication to continuous improvement and efficiency.

Simms’ mantra is that we are here “to do what’s best for the citizens of Detroit”, and he lives that through his work.