Alexandria — Robert C. Dubé has been appointed as fire chief for the City of Alexandria, effective June 9. Dubé replaces Adam K. Thiel, who resigned from the position earlier this year to accept a position in state government.
Dubé, who has more than 35 years of experience in local, state, federal and international government operations, served as county administrator for Louisa County, Va., where he was responsible for more than 300 personnel and managed a budget of $86 million.
Prior to his tenure as county administrator, he was the fire/EMS chief and emergency services coordinator for Louisa County. Dubé also served as assistant fire chief and emergency manager for the City of Clearwater, Fla., and operations chief and task force leader for Virginia Task Force One, a multifunctional, international search and rescue team. Dubé began his career as a firefighter/EMT for Fairfax County, working his way up to the rank of captain.
Dubé holds a master’s degree in Executive Fire Service Leadership from Grand Canyon University, and is an Executive Fire Officer graduate of the National Fire Academy. He has won numerous awards, including the Virginia Governor’s Award for Excellence in Fire Service Management, an outstanding performance award from the International Association of Fire Chiefs, and awards for local and international search and rescue work, including the response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the Pentagon.