May 12. Ryan Monteith, who has been interim fire chief in Davidson since the retirement of Bo Fitzgerald last year, has been officially named chief of the Davidson Fire Dept. He will be responsible for planning, organizing, and directing a variety of department activities, including firefighting, fire inspection, public education and fire prevention.

Monteith currently serves as battalion chief for West Charlotte at the Charlotte Fire Dept. He supervises three special operations stations: Heavy Rescue and Dive, Hazmat and Urban Search and Rescue. He is also an adjunct instructor for Central Piedmont Community College and the Charlotte Fire Department Training Academy.

Monteith joined the Davidson Fire Dept. as a part-time firefighter in April 2007 and subsequently earned multiple promotions through 2013 when he was named deputy chief. He served as interim chief from December of last year to April 30.

He has an associates degree in Fire Protection Technology from Coastal Carolina Community College, a bachelor’s degree in Fire Science from Fayetteville State University and is currently pursuing a masters in emergency management from Jacksonville State University.