Jack McElfish, a veteran fire chief and longtime FDIC instructor, passed away on September 16, 2024. Chief McElfish was diagnosed with cancer early this year following a more than 50-year career as a decorated firefighter and fire officer. He was also a proud U.S. Air Force Veteran and a lifelong Rotarian, but his greatest sense of joy came from his grandson, Jack; his daughter, Kelly; his wife, Joyce; and countless family and friends.
McElfish served as fire chief in Wallingford, Connecticut; Clayton County, Georgia.; Richmond, Virginia; and Gwinnett County, Georgia. He also was chief of training in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and a firefighter (career and volunteer) in Montgomery County, Maryland.
He was among the first 12 chiefs nationally to become accredited as designated Chief Fire Officer awarded by the Center for Public Safety Excellence. Among his many awards, McElfish was named the International Society of Fire Service Instructors 2008 Instructor of the Year; the Southeastern Association of Fire Chiefs 2008 Fire Chief of the Year; and the 2010 American Heart Association’s Mission Award for the fire department’s efforts to train residents to use CPR. Additionally, he served on the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Board of Directors for more than a decade, and instructed at the Fire Department Instructors Conference when it was located in Cincinnati.
Chief McElfish started building his career early as a child in Montgomery County, Maryland. He said he started hanging around the Rockville volunteer firehouse in his hometown in Maryland at about age eight, and by age 16 he started taking classes in basic fire safety and first aid training.
When he turned 18, he joined the U.S. Air Force, serving in aircraft fire and rescue. After an honorable discharge, he continued as a volunteer firefighter and also began as a career firefighter in the local fire department. He served for several years in Montgomery County (Rockville and Burtonsville, Maryland), promoting up to station commander, when he was hired to coordinate firefighter training in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. In his 30s, during his first chief of department role in Wallingford, McElfish earned the title of youngest fire chief in Connecticut.
McElfish went on to serve as chief in the aforementioned departments, and he was selected as the first chief of Sandy Springs, Georgia, when they created their own fire department.
The Sandy Springs (GA) Fire Department received numerous noted accomplishments, the primary being creating a department with more than 100 personnel and five stations. Under McElfish, the department received awards such as the “Crown Community” Award by the American City and County Magazine in recognition of the start-up and the department’s innovative emergency medical services program. The agency also received the “Heart Save Community Award” from the IAFC.
After his seven years with Sandy Springs, McElfish retired in 2014. After retirement, he did leadership training for several organizations (both public and private, such as 1800-BoardUp), but his primary focus was time with his wife, Joyce, their daughter, Kelly, and the joy of his life, his grandson, Jack Robert. Chief McElfish passed surrounded by his loved ones.
