The association had endorsed the former interim fire chief, Chris Ensley, to become the next chief, but the city didn’t rank him among the top candidates.
ROWLETT, Texas — After suspending its search for a new fire chief amid a back-and-forth dispute with the Rowlett Firefighters Association, the city has appointed Mitchell Randles to serve as its new interim fire chief.
The city’s previous interim fire chief, Chris Ensley, was endorsed by the association to become the next chief, but the city didn’t rank him among the top candidates.
Mitchell Randles will serve as the department’s new interim fire chief beginning on Wednesday.
Randles has spent more than three decades in fire service leadership, the city said, last serving as the city of Temple’s fire chief and emergency management coordinator before retiring in 2025.
The city said this appointment is to ensure uninterrupted services as it retools its hiring process for a permanent chief.
“Public safety is our highest priority,” Interim City Manager Kristoff Bauer said in a statement. “Chief Randles brings the operational leadership, emergency management expertise, and command-level experience necessary to lead our department during this transition and ensure our community continues to receive the highest level of service.”
Randles will oversee all fire and emergency medical services operations as interim chief, the city said, as well as support Rowlett’s emergency management function. He will not be considered as a candidate for the permanent position.
“We recognize that transitions like this can be difficult,” Bauer added. “Our focus remains on maintaining stability, supporting our employees, and ensuring we have qualified leadership in place to serve our residents.”
In a statement, the city thanked Ensley for his guidance as interim chief during the transition period and said he would continue to serve the department as assistant fire chief.
In the letter sent late last month announcing the suspension of the recruitment process, the city accused the association of spreading misinformation about the hiring process and voicing their opposition directly to each of the candidates.
Rowlett Firefighter Association President Josh Brock denied the city’s accusations that anyone reached out to any of the candidates to discourage them from pursuing the position.
Brock also questioned the city, calling Ensley’s inclusion in the process a “professional courtesy” even as he was named interim fire chief.
“You do not hand the keys to someone you do not trust,” he wrote. “You do not put an ‘unqualified’ leader in charge of an entire fire department and then pretend the title was a favor. You cannot have it both ways.”