Panama City Beach Fire Chief Ray Morgan has tapped Battalion Chief Justin Busch for his old job as Deputy Fire Chief.
“I am confident he will serve the Department well and will be an asset in the future growth and development of this Department, both internally and externally,” said Morgan. “I want to say thank-you to all the applicants. It was humbling to see the number of talented fire personnel who wanted to join our Department.”
Approximately a dozen applications were initially received for the post, left vacant after Morgan’s promotion to the Chief’s position in August. The Civil Service Board narrowed the selection to three, which also included PCB Fire Capt. Jacob Gorman and an outside candidate. Three more rounds of interviews were conducted Thursday.
Busch said he is humbled by the promotion.
“I am grateful for the support of our City’s leadership, our Fire Chief and especially our Department members. The team’s belief in our vision is what propels us to success,” he said. “I look forward to this opportunity.”
Busch joined the PCB Fire Department in 2003 after having served as a volunteer with both the Callaway and Parker Fire Departments. He began volunteering while a student at Rutherford High School. He worked his way up through the ranks from Firefighter-EMT to Lieutenant and Captain before being named Battalion Chief in 2016. In that role, he supervised the 16-member A Shift.
He holds an Associates of Science degree in Fire Science from Gulf Coast Community College and has obtain numerous certifications including Florida Fire Instructor II. He is also a graduate of the elite training course FLAMES (Firefighters Laboring and Mastering Essential Skills), where he serves on the advisory board and is an instructor.
