Scott E. Goldstein Appointed Fire Chief

This afternoon, County Executive Ike Leggett announced the selection of Scott Goldstein as the next Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Chief.

Commented Mr. Leggett, "As a 25-year veteran of the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service, Scott Goldstein has a thorough knowledge of our system and the many operations that keep it functioning at its high-level of service. His service as acting chief, since the retirement of Chief Lohr in January, has been exceptional. His experience at all levels of fire and rescue service at the local level and with major incidents across the country gives him a broad perspective on issues that could arise locally.” 

Fire Chief Goldstein's Bio via County Office of Public Information:

During his 25-year career with the Montgomery County Fire-Rescue Service (MCFRS), Goldstein has worked his way up the ranks, achieving increasingly higher positions of responsibility and gaining a broad base of experience. 

Before being named acting chief upon the retirement of Chief Steve Lohr on January 1, Goldstein was Division Chief of Operations , the second-highest position in the department. Under his leadership were multiple functions, such as Special Operations, Emergency Medical Services, Emergency Communications (9-1-1) and Field Operations. The division had more than 900 personnel that provided services from 37 stations to more than one million County residents situated over 500 square miles. 

His previous position was Assistant Chief of Special Operations that involved daily management of fire-rescue personnel in the section serving in Hazardous Materials, Technical Rescue, Water Rescue and WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction) Response. 

Goldstein has experience in developing and coordinating MCFRS preventive and reactive response to mass gathering events such as pro golf tournaments, multi-day walks, the County Agricultural Fair and music festivals/concerts. 

He has participated in a number of disaster response operations, including the Oklahoma City bombing, the attack on the Pentagon on 9/11, hurricanes, and the 1996 bombing at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta. 

Goldstein has an Associate Degree in Applied Science from Montgomery Community College, a Bachelor of Science Degree in Fire Science from the University of Maryland, College Park and is a candidate for a Masters of Science in Homeland Security from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA.