James P. Smith, Jr. is the Fire and EMS Chief for Radnor Township, Pennsylvania. He is a 2024 graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer (EFO) Program. Chief Smith is a second-generation firefighter and is extremely proud to be one of a handful of legacy graduates of the EFO program. His father, Deputy Chief Jim Smith Sr. (Philadelphia Fire Department) graduated from the EFO program in 1990.
Chief Smith started his career in 1994 as a firefighter with the Ocean City (NJ) Department of Fire and Rescue Services. He served for 30 years in Ocean City, the last seven as fire chief. Chief Smith earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Public Safety Administration from Neumann University and is a graduate of Rutgers University’s Certified Public Manager (CPM) program. He received the Chief Fire Officer (CFO) designation through the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) in 2024.