William “Billy” Moreland has been chosen to lead the Clemson University Fire & EMS Department (CUFD) as the University’s next Fire Chief. Moreland comes to Clemson after a distinguished 30-year career with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department (FCFRD).
“I’m excited to welcome Billy Moreland to Clemson University as our next Fire Chief,” said Associate Vice President for Public Safety Kimberly Spears-McNatt. “Billy has been a dedicated first responder and servant leader throughout his career. He brings a wealth of experience and expertise and I have no doubt he will do a great job leading CUFD.”
Moreland, who recently served as the Battalion Chief since 2020, joined FCFRD – the largest fire department in the state of Virginia – in August 1996. He worked his way through the ranks from Firefighter, Lieutenant, Captain, and Battalion Chief has served in numerous operational, special operations, emergency management, and leadership assignments, culminating in service at the Battalion Chief level.
“I am truly honored and humbled to have the opportunity to serve as Fire Chief of Clemson University Fire & EMS,” Moreland said. “Clemson is a special community with a tremendous tradition of service, pride and excellence. I look forward to listening and learning from our firefighters, building strong relationships throughout Clemson University and the City of Clemson, and working alongside our regional public safety partners.
“My commitment is simple: take care of the community we serve, and take care of the CUFD personnel, lead with integrity, and continually strive for excellence. I am extremely excited to become part of the Clemson family and begin this next chapter of service.”
Throughout his career, Moreland has developed extensive experience in emergency operations, hazardous materials response, technical rescue, disaster preparedness, emergency management, and the command and coordination of complex incidents.
In addition to his role at FCFRD, Moreland has been dedicated to FEMA’s Urban Search & Rescue (US&R) Response System, serving as a member of Virginia Task Force 1 (VA-TF1) / USA-01, since 2003. Moreland gained extensive experience working within highly specialized multi-disciplinary teams and supporting complex disaster response operations, deploying to earthquakes in Nepal (2015) and Haiti (2010) and a tsunami in Japan (2011) in different roles and deployed for 30 missions.
Additionally, within FEMA US&R, Moreland has served on the Incident Support Team (IST) since 2012. His work on the IST led to deployments for numerous hurricanes and natural disasters between 2013 and 2025. Deploying to 30 missions, Moreland’s experience with the US&R system strengthened his commitment to preparedness, teamwork, interoperability, and developing leaders capable of performing in challenging environments.
Moreland has also been a leader in advancing the use of unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) and emerging technology within public safety. He helped establish and develop the FCFRD’s sUAS program, earning a Team Performance Award for its implementation and development. He worked extensively with regional public safety partners to integrate drone technology into emergency response, situational awareness, incident command, and public safety operations.
His work expanded into the integration of fire and rescue operations within a Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC) environment and the development and integration of Fire Liaison serving 24/7 with Fairfax County Police Department Drone First Responder (DFR) capabilities.
These initiatives included collaboration between fire-rescue, law enforcement, emergency management, communications, and other public safety partners to improve real-time intelligence, operational decision-making, responder safety, and service to the community.
Moreland earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Fire and Emergency Management from Purdue Global University in 2023.
Moreland will officially begin serving as Fire Chief on October 5, 2026.
