Michael Ross

Michael Ross,  a 35-year veteran firefighter, has a passion for growth and development and thrives while navigating the process of change. He served 26 years with the Bedford Texas Fire Department; and was promoted through the ranks, spending his last ten years there as a Shift Battalion Chief. He also concurrently spent ten years as a Rescue Specialist and then Safety Officer with the Texas A&M Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue Team: one of the 28 federal response teams under FEMA responding to State and National disasters. After leaving Bedford, Chief Ross spent the remainder of his career with the Lake Cities Fire Department in Corinth Texas as the Division Chief of Training and Operations, then Assistant Fire Chief before becoming the Fire Chief. Chief Ross retired in 2022 and continues to be active in education and organizational growth and development.  

Chief Ross holds a Master Firefighter, Master Instructor III, FEMA Safety Officer, and Licensed Paramedic certifications. Throughout his career, he has been recognized eight times by Texas State Lawmakers including the Governor, the Senate, the State House, as well as individual Senators and Members of the House.

As Chief, he focused on organizational and member growth creatively applying new processes to recruitment, testing, and promotions to ensure organizational fit at every level including restructuring the organizational chart, and creating new and transitional positions to meet service requirements and budgetary constraints. He has developed and delivered multiple promotional processes from recruit to Assistant Chief. Chief Ross has testified before the State House of Representatives and Senate to promote laws to allow the creation of a Fire Control, Prevention, and Emergency Medical Services District. Additionally, under his leadership, the department was able to obtain an ISO rating of two (ISO 2) from a four and to become a Texas Fire Chief’s Association Best Practices Designation Department. 

Chief Ross received his BA in Labor Safety and Health from the George Meany School of Business at the National Labor College in Silver Springs Maryland, and his dual emphasis Master’s Degree in Leadership with an emphasis in Executive Leadership and Disaster Preparedness from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix Arizona.  Additionally, he holds the prestigious Executive Fire Officer (EFO) designation from the U.S. Fire Administration’s National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg Maryland.

An adjunct instructor for 30 years, Chief Ross was affiliated with Tarrant County College for 19 years before transitioning to North Central Texas College to work with the Program Chair to develop and institute their college fire academy, dual credit high school fire academy, and associate degree program, Chief Ross currently teaches six of the core curricula required for two fire-related Associate Degrees. 

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