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Justin Ball, a nearly 30-year veteran of Dallas Fire-Rescue who has served in every rank, including interim chief for nearly a year, has been named the fire department’s new chief, city officials announced Thursday.
Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert, who made the final selection, praised Ball’s leadership and vision for the department’s future. Her announcement concludes a search that drew more than 30 applicants.
“Chief Ball has a demonstrated track record of strong leadership,” Tolbert said in a news release Thursday afternoon. “He has brought fresh ideas to solve problems and seized on innovative opportunities to take this internationally recognized department to the next level.”
Ball will assume the role on April 23 as the city’s 18th fire chief, leading one of its largest departments. Dallas Fire-Rescue operates with a $430 million budget and more than 2,000 personnel, including firefighters, emergency medical responders and civilian staff.
The search for a new Dallas Fire-Rescue chief ran parallel to the city’s ongoing effort to hire a new police chief — though it began later and wrapped up sooner than that effort.
Four finalists were ultimately selected and invited to Dallas City Hall last week for a public meet-and-greet, as well as interviews with City Council members and other stakeholders.
Ball, 54, was widely seen as a strong contender for the job, having served as interim chief since last June, when former chief Dominique Artis was promoted to a newly created public safety role overseeing the city’s police, fire, municipal courts and emergency services.
Leaders with the department’s fire associations had voiced support for Ball before the final selection. Lt. Jeff Patterson, president of the Dallas Fire Fighters Association, the largest of the associations, praised the news of the final selection.
“We are excited to continue working with him as we move the department forward,” Patterson said in a message to The Dallas Morning News. “We are happy to have been included in the process and appreciate City Manager Tolbert for asking for our input.”
Ball is an England native who immigrated to Dallas more than three decades ago. He began his career with what was then called the Dallas Fire Department in 1997 and has since risen through the ranks, most recently serving as executive assistant chief of operations.
Last week, during the meet and greet, Ball touted his many years with Dallas Fire-Rescue, saying the department had been “good to me” and expressing an intent to give back to the department.
“It’s an incredible honor to have been selected as the permanent chief to lead the brave men and women with whom I have the pleasure of working with each day,” Ball said in the release. “I look forward to building on our positive momentum, focusing on the safety and wellness of our members and continuing to deliver the best service to this community.”
The police and fire chief searches were conducted with the help of Public Sector Search and Consulting, a California-based firm retained by the city that recruits public safety executives.
The three other finalists were Todd Alt, an assistant chief with Tampa Fire Rescue in Florida; Raymond Hill, executive assistant chief with the Fort Worth Fire Department; and Samuel Peña, former chief of the Houston Fire Department.
Dallas Cowboys Nation’s hopes of landing superstar pass rusher Maxx Crosby were dashed last weekend when it was announced that he was being traded to the Baltimore Ravens. However, less than 24 hours before the new year, the trade has fallen apart.
On Tuesday night, the Las Vegas Raiders announced that the Ravens have backed out of the trade.
“The Baltimore Ravens have backed out of our trade agreement for Maxx Crosby,” the statement read. “We will have no further comment at this time.”
The news sends a major ripple for the league, with the Crosby sweepstakes once again open. Before his trade to the Ravens, the Cowboys were considered one of the teams closely monitoring the situation and a team that made a legitimate offer for Crosby.
At this time, there is no word on why the trade between Las Vegas and Baltimore fell through. When the trade was first reported, the Raiders were set to receive a 2026 and 2027 first-round pick from the Ravens.
Now, his future is in limbo. Before he was traded to the Ravens, it was believed that the Cowboys, Chicago Bears, and Los Angeles Rams were the top candidates to land him. In fact, the Cowboys were “considered runner-ups” in the sweepstakes.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Cowboys initially offered the No. 12 overall pick in the 2026 draft, a 2027 second-round pick, and an unnamed veteran player.
“Dallas kept a hard line throughout. The franchise wasn’t willing to part with two first-round picks, hoping its 12th pick in April’s draft, plus a future second-rounder, would be enough to entice Las Vegas. Dallas was also willing to package a veteran player to sweeten the deal, but Vegas wasn’t interested in that. The Raiders prioritized picks,” Fowler wrote.
Last season, Crosby recorded 73 total tackles, 28 tackles for a loss, 20 quarterback hits, 10 sacks, two forced fumbles, and an interception.
We’ll have to see if Dallas ends up being his new home, now that the team has a second chance to make something special happen, but there will be some serious competition. The 2026 NFL calendar year officially begins on Wednesday, March 11, at 4:00 p.m. ET.
DALLAS – Severe thunderstorms are forecast to return to North Texas late Tuesday, bringing threats of damaging hail, high winds and localized flooding. While the primary concerns are wind and hail, a few tornadoes cannot be ruled out.
We have another chance of severe storms starting Tuesday afternoon. Meteorologist Ali Turiano has your forecast and everything you need to know ahead of the storms.
Scattered showers and storms are expected to develop as a dryline to the west moves into the region. Storm conditions are expected to intensify as the day progresses.
The greatest concerns remain damaging winds and large hail. The leading edge of the storm front will likely be the most intense, with the potential for straight-line winds and brief spin-up tornadoes.
The highest potential for severe weather in the Metroplex is from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., though lingering activity could continue until 2 a.m. Wednesday. Residents are advised to seek shelter immediately if a warning is issued for their area.
A final round of storms is expected Wednesday, primarily between noon and 7 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. These storms carry a threat of half-dollar-sized hail and damaging winds.
Behind this system, North Texas will dry out and briefly cool off. Sunny skies return Thursday with a high in the mid-60s. Temperatures will then warm into the upper 70s on Friday before a sunny weekend with highs in the low 80s.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the National Weather Service and FOX 4 forecasters.
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