Milledgeville fire chief aims to be positive influence, lead by example

Published 3:15 pm Saturday, February 16, 2019

There are few people in this world that, at a very young age, find themselves pulled by a strong moral compass toward a career requiring courage, physical and mental strength, and selfless dedication to saving the lives of others. 

One such man is Milledgeville Fire Department Chief William Collier, who left his rural country roots in Iron City, Ga., population 300, after graduating high school in 1984 to pursue his big city dreams.

“The pattern in my family at the time was to follow the oldest sibling to where they lived, and at that time, my older sister was living in Atlanta,” said Collier. “Two days after graduation, I was living in the city — there was indeed a cultural shock that I experienced.” 

It was that solid, rural upbringing by his parents, dad, William Sr. and mom, Annie, that instilled in him a strong work ethic that drove Collier quickly up the virtual fireman’s career ladder. 

“My late father, who I am named for, along with my mother, have been the most influential people in my life. My mom retired as a paraprofessional but still works several days a week at a local school — she’s 76.” 

Growing up on the family farm and witnessing his father’s dedication to his vocation and family, taught Collier that a work ethic was not something that was simply hoped for but was required to be successful in life.     

“They instilled in all of their children a sense of responsibility, and in their world, there was never something that you could not do,” he said. “Saying that you could not do something was never allowed in their household — whether you had any experience in it or not.”   

Two years after high school, in January 1986, Collier graduated the Georgia Fire Academy and began what would be a long and notable career in the Atlanta Fire and Rescue Department (previously the Atlanta Fire Bureau).  

“From the beginning, I loved what I was doing and did not have any intention of doing anything else and wanted to do it for as long as I possibly could,” he said. 

Collier’s career spanning 31 years is marked by many points of distinction including becoming one of the two youngest members of the department in decades, in 1993, to make the rank of officer. Two years after making lieutenant, he was promoted to captain.  

“At 26, I found myself managing men twice my age — I made a lot of mistakes — but I learned the value of leadership. It’s all about helping people become their best, not your best.” 

Hollywood has long glamorized firefighting in movies and television shows; Collier agrees that it is an exciting life full of adrenaline-fueled rescues and the satisfaction of saving lives but, it is not without great risks, too.  

It was in 1996, as he was responding to a fire at the Atlanta University Center Consortium — the world’s oldest and largest association of historically Black colleges and universities consisting of Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, and Spelman College — that danger came calling. 

The structure, built in the 1800s, had multiple locations of fire breakouts that required the crew to separate to provide containment and prevent spreading. 

“I was coming down from the third floor and was unaware that the stairwell had completely burned. I fell about 25 feet and broke femur on the right leg. I had always been an aggressive firefighter and obtained injuries, but I knew this was different.” 

It is what happened next that separates a real-life fireman from the glossy Hollywood stereotype. Six months after this career-altering injury, Collier had the metal rod that had been placed in his femur removed so that he could continue doing the job he so loved. 

“I knew I could not have the mobility needed to do this job effectively with the metal rod in my leg; I had no choice but to have it removed,” he said without hesitation. 

During his years of service, Collier found himself working in fire stations larger than the entire Milledgeville department. The facilities were all-inclusive with Haz-Mat units, rope rescue and extrication capabilities. 

“As a lieutenant, I was assigned to a Haz-Mat unit where I learned a lot and grew professionally from being guided by my senior command,” he said. 

During the year of the 1996 Olympics, Collier served as a fire medic captain and attended over 150 structural fires in a dense part of the historic West End District community near the old Fulton County Stadium. 

At 36, Collier received his first appointment position as battalion chief, but as a man with high goals, he was not pleased with himself for taking so long to arrive. 

“I wanted to achieve that level quicker,” he laughed as he said it. “At that time, I managed eight fire stations covering the largest geographical area of southwest Atlanta.” 

Collier retired in 2016 after serving the Atlanta Fire Department for more than three decades. When the Milledgeville position became vacant, he saw an opportunity to bring his breadth of knowledge and experience to a smaller department. He took the helm as chief last August, becoming the first African-American to hold the position.

He sees a bright future for the city’s fire department including offering advanced medical training, cultivating more community engagement, and partnering with the county’s fire rescue to ensure all residents are kept safe. 

“The world is not as communal as it used to be. It is more technical, and neighbors are not as accessible as they used to be. That is why it is important to reach out into the community and engage.” 

Collier is a devoted father to son, William III, an Army sergeant, and daughter, Raven, a high school senior who has been accepted at Reinhardt University and aspires to a career in creative writing. 

 In his leisure time, he likes to exercise, read and mentor the rising generation.  

“Above all else in my life, I want to be a positive influence for my children and young African-American men. Mentoring continues to be a large focus in my life and is how I can contribute to my new community of Milledgeville.”