Derrick J. V. Sawyer 35-year veteran of the fire service and currently serves as the Fire Chief for Upper Darby Township PA. Chief Sawyer served as the 19th Fire Commissioner of the PFD from June of 2014 to May 2016. He provided leadership for the more than 2,400 members within the department. With a passion for educating the community on the merits of safety and preparedness, he has become a sought after public speaker and revels in the opportunity to engage the community, as well as public and private sector entities. Retiring from the Philadelphia Fire Department (PFD) after 31 years of service, Sawyer served as the Fire Director for Trenton Fire and Emergency Services in Trenton New Jersey.

Well versed in the facets of the Emergency Response industry, Chief Sawyer served in every civil service rank within the PFD, as well as every Mayoral appointed position including Deputy Commissioner for both Technical Services and Operations. He’s held staff positions in the Technical Support Unit, headed the Department’s Homeland Security Division and has presented at the 9th Annual Montgomery County Chief Officers Seminar on the importance of information sharing as it relates to preparing for and preventing terrorist attacks.

Over the past decade Chief Sawyer has traveled the globe to educate diverse communities on the effectiveness of Community Risk Reduction, and fire & life safety education. Among his most impactful presentations were the 2011 International Safety Seminar in Seoul Korea and the National Fire Protection Association’s Annual Conference. He led the award-winning Fire Prevention Division and because of his hands-on leadership, assisted the Fire Department in reducing the number of fire fatalities in the City of Philadelphia to its lowest rate in recorded history. Chief Sawyer was the 2011 recipient of the T. Seddon Duke Award for Fire Prevention.

He served as the Chairperson for the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) Urban Fire Safety Taskforce. Additionally, Chief Sawyer has served as a board member for St. Christopher’s foundation for Children, Northwest Victims Services, and the American Red Cross Southeastern PA Chapter.

Chief Sawyer has augmented his academic accomplishments by graduating from the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program, the Carl Holmes Executive Development Institute and The Harvard Kennedy School of Executive Education for State and Local Government. He has obtained certifications as Fire Officer IV, Fire Instructor II, Fire Inspector, Hazardous Material Technician, and Firefighter II. Sawyer also holds an Associate Degree in Fire Science from Community College of Philadelphia, a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Public Safety Administration from Holy Family University and a Masters Degree in Homeland Security from Saint Joseph’s University.

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