After five years with the department, Aurora Fire Rescue Chief Fernando Gray Sr. is leaving to take a position as director and fire chief for the city of Las Vegas.
Gray’s final day will be Friday, July 15, according to a Tuesday news release from the city of Aurora. He came to the department in 2017 from Dallas, where he spent over 20 years with that city’s fire department.
Gray is Aurora’s first Black fire chief, and recruiting more minority firefighters and redirecting the department’s focus on emergency medical calls were two of his major goals after being appointed. He oversaw the department during the pandemic, which forced fire departments across the nation to restructure their operations almost overnight.