Charleston Fire Chief Curia named Career Fire Chief of the Year

When Charleston Fire Chief Daniel Curia sat down for dinner at a conference in Franklin, Tennessee, this summer, the last thing he expected was to hear his own name announced.

 

The Southeastern Association of Fire Chiefs named him as the 2025 Career Fire Chief of the Year – a recognition that left him, in his words, “pretty humbled.”

 

“You know, there are plenty of great fire chiefs,” Curia said. “So there’s obviously plenty of great candidates.”

 

The Southeastern Association of Fire Chiefs, the largest division of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, represents more than 2,000 members across 10 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

 

The award recognizes a chief whose leadership, innovation, integrity, and contributions to the profession set a standard for others in the Southeast.

 

Curia, who became Charleston Fire Chief in 2018 after 28 years with the Durham Fire Department in North Carolina, said the honor is less about him and more about his team.

 

“Just to think that your coworkers think enough of you and the job that you’re doing to invest the time to put the nomination together… it’s pretty gratifying,” he said. 

 

“But honestly, it tells me that we have a great team. Everything we do in the fire service is built on the team concept. If the team wasn’t doing great things, then great things wouldn’t be happening, and there would be no need for me to get an award.”

 

Curia’s leadership style aligns with what he calls servant leadership. “Although the fire service is built off a paramilitary structure, you still have to have really good teams in place that can operate somewhat independently. If you’re the fire chief, it’s your job to try to get them what they need to succeed and let them go do great things.”

 

In his time as fire chief, he has cultivated a “family” atmosphere. “Over the seven years, we’ve become a big family. Like any family, sometimes we agree and sometimes we don’t, but at the end of it, we love each other and support each other.”

 

Curia also points to strategic planning, aligning long-range plans with city growth, and strengthening the department’s mission, vision, and values as key accomplishments. Looking ahead, he plans to focus on community risk reduction.

 

“The emergency that we can prevent is of benefit to all of us,” he said. “Through our efforts today, we should be a little bit safer as a community than we were yesterday.”

 

As the nation approaches another Sept. 11 anniversary, Curia reflected on the day’s enduring impact. “The New York City Fire Department lost 343 firefighters that day. But when you compare it to the number of lives that they saved, it’s awe-inspiring. It puts into perspective why a firefighter does what a firefighter does. We’re here to serve.

 

“I’m very thankful for the recognition, but again, it’s recognition for the team. Although I got the award, it really just reflects the great things that go on in the Charleston Fire Department. People are lucky to have this group serving them.”