Fort Walton Beach named Thearon Shipman as next Fire Chief

In Brief:

🔥 Chief Morgan Retires – After 25 years of service, Chief Jeremy Morgan is stepping down from the Fort Walton Beach Fire Department.
👨🏽‍🚒 Historic Promotion – Deputy Chief Thearon Shipman will become the first African American fire chief of a civilian department in Okaloosa County.
🎖️ Change of Command – A ceremony will mark the leadership transition on July 18 at Fire Station 6.

After 25 years of service, Fort Walton Beach Fire Chief Jeremy Morgan is retiring, and longtime Deputy Chief Thearon Shipman has been selected as his successor, becoming the first African American to serve as fire chief of a civilian fire department in Okaloosa County.

Chief Morgan began his firefighting career in 1999 shortly after graduating from Pensacola Junior College’s fire academy. Over the years, he climbed the ranks of the Fort Walton Beach Fire Department, earning promotions to Driver/Engineer in 2008, Captain in 2012, Battalion Chief in 2017, and Deputy Chief in 2021. He was appointed Chief in November 2022.

Morgan’s tenure has been marked by both professional development and operational challenges. With a steady city population but a significant increase in tourism, fire service calls have surged more than 30% in recent years. Despite this, Morgan led the department through growth and modernization, emphasizing merit-based advancement and preparing the department for future leadership.

“Fire in and of itself is sometimes scary, but from the ashes sprouts opportunity,” the city noted in its announcement, praising Morgan’s efforts to create a culture of opportunity and excellence within the department.

That leadership pipeline now yields its next Chief. The City of Fort Walton Beach announced that Deputy Chief Thearon Shipman will officially take over as fire chief on July 2, 2025.

Shipman, a 22-year veteran of the department, began his service in August 2002. Like Morgan, he rose steadily through the ranks, earning recognition early as an exceptional engineer and later as a key leader in firefighter training, EMS coordination, and professional development. He was promoted to Captain in 2015, Battalion Chief in 2024, and Deputy Chief in February 2025.

Shipman has served as the department’s EMS coordinator and is an instructor for the American Heart Association, teaching CPR, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, and Pediatric Advanced Life Support.

For the first time in the city’s history, an outgoing fire chief will directly hand off the role to his internal successor.

A formal change of command ceremony will be held at 4 p.m. on Friday, July 18, 2025, at Fort Walton Beach Fire Station 6 on Hollywood Boulevard.