Adam K. Thiel became the 20th commissioner of the Fire Department in May 2016. His 26 years of experience spans five states and includes roles as chief fire officer, incident commander, company officer, fire and emergency services instructor, hazardous materials team leader, paramedic, technical rescuer, structural/wildland firefighter, swiftwater rescuer, and rescue SCUBA diver. He has completed doctoral coursework in public administration (ABD) at Arizona State University and in public policy at George Mason University. Before coming to Philadelphia, Thiel held posts including deputy secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security for the Commonwealth of Virginia and chief of the Fire Department in Alexandria, Virginia. He is a 2018 Eisenhower USA Fellow and a 2017 Leadership Philadelphia Fellow.