Apopka Fire Chief wins leadership award

Apopka Fire Chief Chuck Carnesale was presented with the Fire Chief Craig E. Haun Leadership Award at today’s Central Florida Fire Chief’s Association meeting in Altamonte Springs.

The Association board unanimously selected Chief Carnesale for the very prestigious award, recognizing his 33 years of service to the City of Apopka and rise through the ranks, diligently working to support firefighters and to improve the fire department.

The Central Florida Fire Chief’s Association includes fire agencies across Orange, Seminole, Lake and Osceola counties. The award is named in honor of late Fire Chief Craig Haun – former chief of Lake Mary Fire Rescue who passed in 2014. Haun’s wife, Maria, attended today’s meeting to help present the award to Chief Carnesale.

The City of Apopka proudly congratulates Chief Carnesale for today’s award and the Central Florida Fire Chief’s Association for presenting him with the tremendous honor. Thank you.

Carnesale was promoted to Apopka’s fire chief in June of 2016. He previously served as assistant fire chief since 2013, heading up the fire department’s emergency medical and ambulance services. He is certified as a firefighter, EMT/paramedic, fire officer, fire inspector and instructor in various fields.

He joined the Apopka Fire Department’s explorer program in 1983 at the age of 13. He graduated from Lake Brantley High School in 1989 – the same year he completed the fire academy/ EMT school and earned a part-time job with Apopka as emergency dispatcher/911 operator.

Carnesale earned a full-time position the next year, and by 1990 he was hired as a full-time firefighter/EMT. In the year 2000, he was recognized by then Gov. Jeb Bush as Apopka’s Firefighter of the Year.

He was promoted to engineer in 2001, lieutenant in 2005, captain and EMS coordinator in 2006 and assistant fire chief in 2013. Carnesale attended Seminole State and Valencia colleges, Florida State Fire College and the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, MD. He has served on several medical boards, and this year Orange County Medical Director Dr. George Ralls appointed him the Orange County EMS Advisory Council.