Lloyd Ayers was appointed Acting Fire Commissioner, by former Mayor John F. Street, effective on Sunday, August 1st, 2004. He was sworn in as Philadelphia’s Fire Commissioner on Wednesday, December 1st, 2004. He was re-appointed Fire Commissioner, by Mayor Michael A. Nutter, effective on Thursday, January 10th, 2008 Fire Commissioner Ayers graduated from Murrell Dobbins High School, Machine Shop, in 1969, as a Machinist Apprentice. He joined the United States Coast Guard and was honorably discharged after four (4) years of service at the rank of E-5. Fire Commissioner Ayers began his career with the Philadelphia Fire Department in 1974. He has devoted 37 years to public service with the Philadelphia Fire Department. As Fire Commissioner, he is charged with the management of its 2,300-member uniformed force and all the operations of the Philadelphia Fire Department, which comprise the sixth (6th) largest fire department in the United States. Fire Commissioner Ayers served in every rank in the Philadelphia Fire Department, ranging from Firefighter to Fire Commissioner. He previously served as Deputy Commissioner of Operations, from July 2001, and managed the activities of the Philadelphia Fire Academy, Fire Fighting Forces of Division 1 and Division 2, the Aviation and Marine Units and the Safety Office. Prior to that, he was appointed Deputy Commissioner of Technical Services in April 2000, where he was responsible for oversight of the Fire Marshal’s Office, Hazardous Materials Administration, the Fire Prevention Unit, the Fire Code Unit and other critical service functions. Fire Commissioner Ayers earned a Master of Human Services Degree from Lincoln University in May, 2004. He is a graduate and associate of the Carl Holmes Executive Development Institute at Clark-Atlanta University, Atlanta, Georgia and has completed additional course work at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland. In the past, he has served as president of Club Valiants, Inc., Director of the Northeast Region International Association of Black Professional Firefighters and Executive Vice President of the International Association of Black Professional Firefighters. Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers and his wife, Annette, live in Andorra. They have six children.