DANVILLE, VA. – Dave Coffey was named Monday as Danville’s new fire chief.  Coffey has more than 25 years of service with the fire department in Idaho Falls, Idaho, where he rose through the ranks to deputy fire chief of operations.

Coffey will assume his duties in Danville on Jan.6.

Coffey was chosen from a field of 54 applicants through national recruitment. The city hired Developmental Associates LLC in Chapel Hill, N.C., to coordinate the search. Community focus groups provided input. An assessment panel vetted finalists for the position. The panel included active and retired fire chiefs and department directors.

He will succeed David Eagle, who retired in October after serving as fire chief for 12 years and as a firefighter in Danville for 25 years. Eagle has joined the City of Williamsburg as the fire chief.

Coffey was hired as a firefighter/emergency medical technician for the Idaho Falls Fire Department in 1994. He became a firefighter/paramedic in 1999, a fire captain in 2005, division chief of special operations in 2010, and deputy fire chief of operations in 2014.

He also served as a flight paramedic for Air Idaho Rescue from 2005 to 2010. He has a bachelor’s degree in fire administration, holds the chief fire officer designation from the Center of Public Safety Excellence, and is a delegate for the Idaho Fire Chief’s Association.

During his tenure, Coffey assisted in the preparation and administration of the department budget, managed equipment, supervised department staff, and provided oversight of day-to-day operations. He also supervised the state Hazardous Materials Response and Technical Response teams, provided oversight for the Fire Prevention Division and Swift Water Rescue Team, and served as an incident commander for Idaho’s Region 3 All-Hazards Incident Management Team.

Before beginning his fire service, Coffey served in the U.S. Navy from 1984 to 1993 and was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal.