J. Michael Stallings, division chief of the Rocky Mount (N.C.) Fire Department received the Ronny Jack Coleman Leadership Legacy Award during the Center for Public Safety Excellence’s annual awards ceremony last month in Atlanta.

Stallings has more than 29 years of fire-service experience, including over 14 years as a chief officer. His specific accomplishments which led to his nomination and selection for the award include:

• Leading his department through their first re‐accreditation in 2008 and guiding them toward their second re‐accreditation in 2013.
• Serving as a mentor in the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) mentorship program. Stallings is also a Level 1 Peer Assessor and has participated in four site visits.
• Organizing the North Carolina Accreditation Support Consortium, which has grown to participation by 26 agencies in the state.
• Assisting six agencies in his state in their quest to achieve accredited status.
• Serving as the state coordinator for the proposed U.S. Accreditation Support Consortium.

Stallings received the Chief Fire Officer (CFO) designation in 2009 and is a graduate of the Executive Fire Officer Program through the National Fire Academy.