The U.S. Fire Administrator is a presidential appointee, meaning the selection follows a structured federal process. The administrator leads the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell, the outgoing U.S. Fire Administrator, explained this process in a recent episode of the USFA Podcast: “The U.S. fire administrator is a presidential appointee. I was appointed by President Biden in October of 2021… all Biden appointees typically would be compelled to resign their positions before the start of a new administration.”
Following a presidential election, if the sitting fire administrator was appointed by the outgoing president, they must submit their resignation before the new administration takes office. This allows the president-elect to select a new leader for USFA.
The role does not currently require Senate confirmation, though Dr. Moore-Merrell suggested that reinstating this requirement could be beneficial: “Until two administrations ago, the fire administrator was a Senate-confirmed position, and it should be put back, in my opinion, because of the level of operation.”
This distinction means that the president has direct authority to appoint a new fire administrator, unlike other high-level government positions that require Senate approval.
When choosing a new U.S. Fire Administrator, the White House consults with DHS and FEMA leadership to identify candidates with extensive experience in fire service leadership, emergency response coordination, and national fire safety policy.
Candidates often have backgrounds in firefighting, public safety administration, or national fire service advocacy. Once selected, they must undergo an FBI background check and obtain high-level security clearance.
Dr. Moore-Merrell described the length and complexity of this vetting process: “Because the fire administrator is a high-level clearance position… you have to go through an extensive background check through the FBI. And that takes a good number of months.”
She also noted that this process happens alongside hundreds of other federal appointments, which can delay the final selection: “There are up to 400 [appointments] going through that same background check… The FBI has its hands full trying to do all of those checks.”
This thorough vetting ensures that the chosen candidate meets security and ethical standards before officially taking office.
The appointment of a new U.S. Fire Administrator typically does not happen immediately after the presidential transition. Based on historical patterns, the process often extends into September or October of the first year of a new administration.
Dr. Moore-Merrell confirmed this timeline: “It is traditionally around the September, October timeframe… The reason is that higher-level security clearance requires an extensive background check. And that takes time.”
While the appointment is pending, interim leadership is put in place. Chief Donna Black, appointed as Deputy U.S. Fire Administrator, will serve as Acting U.S. Fire Administrator until a permanent appointment is made.
Dr. Moore-Merrell explained: “I will depart officially on Jan. 20. And at that point, Chief Donna Black will begin acting as the U.S. fire administrator… Superintendent Eriks Gabliks… will then act as the deputy fire administrator.”
This interim structure ensures continuity of leadership at USFA until the White House finalizes the new appointment.
The U.S. Fire Administrator is responsible for shaping national fire prevention policies, coordinating federal fire data collection, and providing support to fire departments across the country.
Dr. Moore-Merrell emphasized the role’s significance in managing fire service resources and national safety efforts: “The fire administrator position is key to operating the mission of USFA going forward. It’s going to be the linchpin for the fire service nationally… for local fire departments to have the resources they need.”
One of the major initiatives launched under her tenure was the National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS), a data platform designed to improve fire service operations: “The information we need to move in any of those directions is in the data… Our legacy system was completely incapable of delivering anything that was helpful.”
Beyond national policies, the fire administrator also represents the U.S. fire service internationally, participating in initiatives like the World Fire Congress, which fosters global collaboration on fire safety challenges.
The U.S. Fire Administrator is a presidential appointee, meaning the selection follows a structured federal process. After a presidential election, if the administrator was appointed by the outgoing president, they are expected to resign before the new administration begins.
Once a new candidate is identified, they undergo extensive FBI background checks and security clearance assessments, which can take several months. Due to the length of this process, the appointment often happens in September or October of the first year of a new administration.
While the selection is pending, an acting administrator ensures continuity of leadership at USFA. The administrator plays a critical role in fire prevention policy, emergency response coordination, and data management at the national level.
Dr. Moore-Merrell described the position as “the linchpin for the fire service nationally”, highlighting the importance of maintaining strong leadership and collaboration across the U.S. fire service.
