Matt Holmes
Battalion Chief Matt Holmes
Austin Fire Department

Battalion Chief Matt Holmes has served in the Austin Fire Department (AFD) since May of 2004.  Throughout his 20-year career, Chief Holmes has worked in a variety of roles that include Operations, Special Operations and additional assignments that allowed him to recruit, train, and develop Austin fire personnel.  

During his time as a Firefighter and Fire Specialist, Chief Holmes worked at some of the busiest fire houses in the city and served as a Team Leader for AFD Cadet Class 109.  Upon promotion to Lieutenant, Chief Holmes led the Recruiting Division and helped revamp AFD’s Pass the Torch Academy which focuses on outreach to prospective applicants who may be interested in a career with AFD.  As a Captain, Chief Holmes spent over two years as Field Training Officer where he provided professional development to newly promoted Fire Specialists and Lieutenants and developed Post Incident Reviews on major emergency incidents.  After promotion to Battalion Chief, Chief Holmes worked at Battalion 7 in Northeast Austin and at Education Services (Training) where he oversaw the training of seven consecutive cadet classes. Currently, Chief Holmes is assigned to the Special Operations Division.  In this role, he helps ensure AFD’s Special Operation Crews receive the training and equipment they need, as well as maintaining and developing positive working relationships with other local, regional, state and federal agencies. 

Chief Holmes is committed to the men and women serving in the Austin Fire Department and helping them fulfill their mission to better serve the citizens of Austin.