Polk County Fire Rescue Promotes Ch...Polk County Fire Rescue Promot...

Polk County Fire Rescue Promotes Charles True to Assistant Chief

Published: July 17, 2026

Bartow, Fla. (July 17, 2026) - Polk County Fire Rescue Chief Shawn Smith has promoted Deputy Fire Chief Charles "Charlie" True to the rank of Assistant Chief.

True brings almost 20 years of fire service experience to the role, including 11 years in a chief officer role. He began his career with Polk County in 2006 as an Emergency Medical Technician for Polk County EMS. During his career, he has held many ranks including EMT, Firefighter/EMT, Firefighter/Paramedic, Engineer/Paramedic, Captain/Paramedic, Battalion Medical Chief, Battalion Chief and Deputy Fire Chief.

"Charlie has earned the respect of those around him through his integrity, humility, commitment to excellence and dedication to our mission," said Smith. "Assistant Chief True will play a vital role in shaping the future of our organization. His experience, innovative thinking and commitment to our members will help us continue building the professional, progressive and service-focused organization we all envision.

True will oversee PCFR's Emergency Services branch, which includes Community Risk Reduction, Operations and Emergency Medical Services.

"I am humbled by the trust and belief shown by the fire chief and county leadership as I promote into my new role," said True. "My mission is to make sure our members continue to have the tools, education, and support they need and deserve to provide the best care to Polk County residents and visitors."

The promotion took effect on Monday, July 6.