The city of Opelika is pleased to announce Shane Boyd as the city’s new
Fire Chief, effective April 1, 2021. Boyd is replacing Chief Byron Prather, who retired on
Jan. 31, 2021. Boyd comes to Opelika from Bessemer, where he served as the deputy
fire chief for three years.
Mayor Gary Fuller stated, “After an extensive search across the southeast by an outside
recruiting firm, we interviewed seven outstanding candidates. Shane Boyd was our
choice because of his experience and proven track record of leadership. The Opelika Fire
Department has a long and proud history in our community. I believe Shane will take us
to a higher level of service for our citizens and community.”
Boyd began his career as a Firefighter EMT at the Birmingport Fire District in 1993, before
moving to the Concord Fire Department as a Firefighter Paramedic. He then served the
City of Bessemer for some 25 years as a firefighter paramedic, fire sergeant, fire
lieutenant, fire captain and battalion captain. In those roles, he was responsible for
every aspect of fire safety, including training and EMS programs. He has an extensive list
of certifications from standard fire training such as a firefighter, HazMat and rescue
technician to training in terrorist bombings, radiological/nuclear awareness and FEMA
incident safety.
Boyd stated, “I want to say how humbled I am to be afforded the opportunity to join the
City of Opelika and the Opelika Fire Department family. I was not looking for a job, but
when this position opened, it was too good to ignore it. I’d like to thank Mayor Fuller and
City Administrator Joey Motley and the citizens of Opelika for giving me this opportunity.
I owe a great deal of appreciation to the members of the Bessemer Fire Department and
Chief McFarland. They have been extremely encouraging the past few weeks. It’s difficult
to leave, but they are in great hands. I can’t wait to get to work with Opelika Fire.”
Boyd has already clearly established goals for the first 30, 60 and 90 days as fire chief. He
plans to work with administration and staff to gather information pertinent to operations
and build relationships internally; learn about and connect with the community, various
agencies and school officials; analyze and develop fire department budget; and improve
community outreach, develop strategic plans and operational goals for the extended
future.
For more information, contact Leigh G. Krehling, community relations officer, at
lkrehling@opelika-al.gov.
