Salem City Manager, Chris Dorsey, announced this morning that he has named Steve Simon Salem’s new Fire & EMS Chief. The veteran firefighter will take over the department on May 12, and he replaces John Prillaman who retired after more than 27 years of service to the Salem community. 

“I am extremely excited and pleased that Salem is able to welcome someone the caliber of Chief Simon onboard to lead our Fire and EMS Department,” Dorsey said. “The department has strong traditions and an outstanding reputation, and I feel certain that Chief Simon will be able to not only maintain those things but elevate them in the coming years.”

Chief Simon brings an incredible wealth of diverse regional experiences to the job. Currently, he is the Executive Director at the Western Virginia Emergency Medical Services Council, where he oversees support services for the EMS needs of 18 local governments. Prior to taking that position, he was the Fire Chief for Roanoke County Fire and Rescue from 2015-2021. 

“I have had the opportunity to work with various leaders within the City of Salem government during my career and I was always impressed with the quality of services they provided and the pride they espoused for their community,” said Simon. “The City of Salem truly has a winning team, and I am excited to be a new member of it.”  

Simon has a bachelor’s degree in Fire Service Administration from the University of Maryland, a master’s degree in executive Fire-EMS Leadership from Grand Canyon University, and he is a graduate of the Executive Fire Officer program at the U.S. Fire Administration, Department of Homeland Security. 

During his 27-year career with Roanoke County Fire and Rescue, he rose from the position of Paramedic/Firefighter to the rank of Fire Chief before retiring in 2021. Throughout the years, he has made it a priority to pay it forward to the next generation by serving as an instructor in the bachelor’s program of Fire-EMS Emergency Management at Radford University, formerly Jefferson College of Health Sciences.

“I am honored and humbled to have been selected to now serve the citizens of Salem,” he said, “The Salem Fire-EMS Department has a long history of providing high quality services and I am excited to work with our dedicated men and women and ensure the department continues to provide efficient, professional, and compassionate services to this great community.”

Since Prillaman’s retirement in December 2024, Deputy Chief Matt Rickman has led the department as its interim chief. He will return to his former role in the department when Simon’s tenure begins in mid-May.

“I want to thank Matt for immersing himself in the interim role and doing such a solid job in this transition period,” said Dorsey. “He took great care in maintaining and developing personnel and moving many of our current programs and advancements forward. He and Steve will make a great team for Salem”

Simon and his wife of 31 years have two adult children along with two dogs. He enjoys spending time with his family and actively volunteering in the community to support both adult and youth soccer.