After 30 years of service, Gainesville Fire Rescue Chief Jeffrey Lane will retire on Sept. 30.
He began his career in 1990 and was named fire chief in 2015.
Chief Lane helped secure GFR's reaccreditation by the Center for Public Safety Excellence in 2019. He was also the one to implement the Automatic Aid Agreement for mutual assistance with Alachua County Fire Rescue, all while overseeing two new fire stations being built and the addition of 50 new employees to the team.
He served as a president of Gainesville Professional Firefighters from 1998 to 2011 and received many awards and honors, including being named Officer of the Year in 2008.
Deputy Fire Chief JoAnne Rice will serve as interim chief beginning next month. The search for a new permanent hire is ongoing.