Fire Chief Larry Few
Fulton County Fire Department
 Fire Chief Larry Few, of the Fulton County Fire Department, Atlanta, Georgia is one of two new additions to the Fireman's Fund Heritage Advisory Committee that were nominated by the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC). (Our other new addition, Battalion Chief John Tippett, was profiled in our last newsletter).
A 27-year-veteran of the Fire Service, Chief Few heads up a 220-person department that serves a 106-square-mile suburban area and includes 15 fire stations. He is a certified police officer as well as a Fire Service veteran, and has degrees in both Fire Science Technology and Business Management.
"I'm pleased to have been appointed to the Heritage Advisory Committee," says Chief Few. "The Committee is an invaluable organization that ensures that the Fire Service's needs and perspectives are well-represented in the Heritage program."
Bitten Early by the Fire Service 'Bug'
Chief Few has wanted to be in the Fire Service since he was a young boy.
"My elementary school was invited to the local station in East Point, Georgia. I was enamored with the fire truck. I saw where the firefighters slept. Then they let us all slide down that fire pole — and that was it for me! I wanted to be a firefighter from that moment on."
He signed on with the College Park, Georgia Fire Department while still in college.
"I took the test and was one of three or four people hired out of about a hundred applicants. I was blessed to be chosen," he recalls. "I was with College Park for almost 20 years, and I enjoyed every minute of it. It was a small department and I was exposed to all the different types of services a department performs." He eventually rose to the post of Fire Marshal, and also obtained his peace officer certification — which is "very useful to me still — if there is an arson case and we need someone to arrest a suspected arsonist, I am legally empowered to do that."
Chief Few switched to the Fulton County Fire Department in 2000, and was promoted to Chief in August, 2006. He continued his education while working full-time in firefighting. In 1996, the Chief obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Shorter College in Rome, Georgia, where he learned about the business side of running a multi-million dollar organization.
"Our business is changing so much, I really had to have that solid business background to add to my technical firefighting skills," adds Chief Few. He previously obtained an Associate of Science degree in Fire Science Technology from DeKalb College in Decatur, and also studied Industrial Management at the Georgia Institute of Technology before deciding on a Fire Service career.
Living the Dream
"Sometimes you have to leave your department to be a chief, but I didn't have to do that. I am living my dream — this is the best job I've ever had. I work with a highly talented group of people."
Chief Few's favorite aspect of being a Fire Chief is meeting and interacting with all kinds of people.
"I'm a real 'people person.' I really do enjoy meeting people, working with the people around me, and watching some of the up-and-coming officers obtain their goals. That's one of the best parts of the job."
Personal Notes:
Chief Few, who is a member of East Point First Mallalieu United Methodist Church, has been married to his wife, Mazie, for 31 years. They have two grown sons, Bryan and Nick. Bryan has followed his father into the Fire Service and is currently with the DeKalb County Fire Department as a medic in DeKalb County, Georgia. Nick is pursuing a career in acting and is currently appearing in a play in Minneapolis at the Guthrie Theatre, performing in Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
In his off hours, Chief Few enjoys hunting, fishing, gardening and traveling. He is also writing a book about the challenges and life lessons of being a fire chief, tentatively entitled "Anatomy of a Fire Chief."
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