Asheville assistant fire chief to retire; interim bureau chief named

The City of Asheville announced on Jan. 16 that Assistant Fire Chief Patrick Crudup plans to retire effective Feb. 1, 2026, creating an immediate leadership transition in the Asheville Fire Department. Assistant Chief Michael Coggins will assume the interim Bureau Chief role until a permanent replacement is selected, the city said.

Crudup is a native of Bunn and a 1995 graduate of Mars Hill College. He began municipal service in 1997 with Parks & Recreation and joined the Asheville Fire Department in 2002. Over more than two decades with the department, Crudup rose through the ranks to serve as Assistant Chief of Operations, overseeing day-to-day firefighting operations and field response coordination.

His tenure included leadership roles on specialized units that serve community safety beyond emergency response. Crudup worked with the department’s REST team and was a leader in the Fire Department Honor Guard, positions that reflect both operational and ceremonial responsibilities within the department. In his departure statement Crudup expressed gratitude for his colleagues and for the privilege of serving the community.

City officials have framed the change as a planned transition intended to preserve operational continuity. Coggins, who steps into the interim bureau chief position, will oversee the department’s bureaus and maintain service delivery while the city conducts its search for a permanent bureau chief. The announcement did not include a timeline for that selection process.

For residents, the personnel change is likely to be most visible in internal department leadership and in continuity of emergency services rather than in day-to-day citizen-facing operations. Fire response, inspections, and public safety programs are expected to continue under the established command structure, with Coggins responsible for managing the interim period. The REST team and Honor Guard will remain part of the department’s portfolio of community and support functions.

Asheville’s fire leadership shift follows a long career of municipal service by Crudup that bridged Parks & Recreation and firefighting, illustrating a local public service trajectory familiar in Buncombe County. City officials will provide further updates as they move toward naming a permanent bureau chief; residents should watch municipal communications for announcements about the selection process and any opportunities for public input.