Skip to main content
Symposium in the Sun Main banner
Back

Clyde Wilhelm

Fire Chief
Swissvale Fire Department
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Clyde Wilhelm, Fire Chief, Swissvale Fire Department (Pittsburgh, PA)

Chief Wilhelm’s fire service career has spanned four decades, starting as a junior member in 1982 and has served in volunteer and combination departments, both in administrative and operational positions.

His career included serving as a dispatcher, police officer and detective for nearly 10 years, spent 12 years in the corporate world working in management for two Fortune 50 companies, before building a successful company of his own. He returned to a full-time public safety career in 2010 as Chief of the Swissvale Fire Department.

During his tenure as Chief, he successfully consolidated a career and volunteer department; implemented training and certifications to national standards; reduced the ISO rating from a Class 6 to a 2; advanced the agency’s EMS program from BLS to ALS and facilitated cooperation between regional departments. He implemented a comprehensive Community Risk Reduction & Code Enforcement program that has reduced structure fires by 85%; resulting in no fire fatalities in the last ten years, after the previous decade experienced 5 separate fire fatalities. These changes had a positive effect on his community, resulting in significantly increased property values as well as tax revenue.

While Fire Chief, he also served as the Borough Manager from 2014 through 2020, inheriting a municipal government near fiscal insolvency. He brought forth a change in culture and paradigm shifts within the local government’s administration and operations. Without raising taxes, he increased revenues, services and capital investment, ending each year with a surplus.

He has successfully written more than 45 grants totaling nearly $10 million for his community, fire department and neighboring fire departments over the last 13 years. In 2020, after successfully turning things around, he stepped away from the Borough Manager position to spend more time with his family and continues to serve as Fire Chief.

As a result of his service and accomplishments, he has received various commendations, including the “Code Official of the Year Award” from the Commonwealth Building Officials and the “Distinguished Service Award” from the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs.


Disclosure information not submitted.

Presentation(s):

Email Clyde