Chief Richard Talbert was appointed as Fire Chief in October of 1999 of the Titusville Fire and Emergency Services. He has been with the City of Titusville for five years and served as a Battalion Commander, Training Commander, and Operations Chief. 

A twenty-two year veteran of the fire service, his career strarted with the City of Ocala, Florida. In 1988 he  moved to Brevard County taking a position with the Kennedy Space Center as their training officer and eventually Operations chief supporting 26 shuttle missions. 

He holds an Associates Degree from Brevard Community College in Fire Science Technology, is currently enrolled in the National Fire Academy's Executive Fire Officer program and a graduate of the University of Maryland's Staff and Command Program.  

Chief Talbert is currently Chairman of the Florida Society of Fire Service Instructors and is actively involved in the Florida Fire Chiefs’ Association’s statewide Disaster Committee as his county’s coordinator and Region V alternate. 

He was awarded his department’s meritorious service award and the State of Florida’s distinguished service award twice for his actions during Florida’s Firestorm in 1998 and Wildfires of 2000. Rick’s command officer experience is respected among his peers and has been utilized at home as well as other areas of Florida during Florida’s natural disasters over the last several years. He also serves as his City’s emergency manager.  

Chief Talbert egan his teaching career at the Florida State Fire College in 1984 and has taught various technical programs. He has written lesson plans for the International Society of Fire Instructor’s Instructor Gram and Haz Mat Gram series and the Fire Department Safety Officer Association’s Safety Grams series.  

The City of Titusville Florida is approximately thirty minutes east of Orlando and Titusville Fire and Emergency Services a 62 member career department protecting a twenty-five square mile area, serving forty-three thousand residents with four stations running two engines, two quints and a rescue with three of the four stations to be ALS by March 2001. The department responded to over five thousand calls for service in 2000. 

Chief Talbert is a native of Prince Georges County, Maryland.