Fire/EMS Chief Corey A. Smedley joined the City of Alexandria in 2015 as the Deputy Fire Chief of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, responsible for improving community preparedness for major emergencies. In this position, he worked with local and regional partners to update the Emergency Operations Plan and the Threats and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment Plan for the City. He also led the launch of the City’s new Emergency Operations Center, which was first activated in May 2019.

Chief Smedley has worked with various federal, state, local agencies, and private sector stakeholders to provide training for the City’s public safety personnel and partners. He was the inaugural chair of the advisory committee to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Homeland Security Executive Committee (MWCOG), which recommends regional preparedness priorities and the allocation of federal homeland security funding to area localities to help maintain public safety.

VIEW: Alexandria Fire Department Annual Reports

As fire chief, Smedley is a strong proponent of the 21st Century Fire and Emergency Service philosophy and has started his agency on the quality improvement journey to obtain accreditation through the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE). Smedley has worked to improve data analytics throughout the department and has established better fiscal control measures to improve efficiencies throughout the organization. Previously, he served as Assistant Fire Chief of Administration, responsible for logistics, fleet, support services, human resources, and information technology. He also centralized the Fire Marshal’s Office to improve their health and wellness, case management protocols and collaboration with the Alexandria Sheriff’s Office.

VIEW: Alexandria Fire Department 2022-2027 Strategic Plan

Before joining the City, Smedley served as the Deputy Chief of the Prince George's County (Maryland) Fire/EMS Department. During his more than 20-year tenure with the County, he served in roles as varied as firefighter/paramedic, station commander, Operations Duty Chief, Fire Marshal, Special Events Coordinating Chair, FedEx Field Stadium Commander, and Chief of Staff to the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Public Safety.

Chief Smedley earned the Certified Public Manager credential from The George Washington University. He holds a bachelor's degree in communications from the University of the District of Columbia and a master's degree in organizational management from Johns Hopkins University. In 2021, he also obtained the Certified Emergency Manager (CEM®) designation by the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM). Smedley was born and raised in Washington, D.C. He lives in Maryland with his wife and their three sons.