Russell Ledbetter
Russell Ledbetter (born c. 1959) was the first chief of Trussville Fire & Rescue, from 1998 to 2016.
Ledbetter spent more than two decades as a member of the Alabama National Guard. He began his firefighting career as a volunteer for the Palmerdale Fire Department in 1979. He joined the Cahaba Heights Fire Department in 1985 and transferred to the Bessemer Fire Department in 1988. In 1998 he was hired as the first chief of Trussville Fire & Rescue.
In 2016 Ledbetter was named chair of the Alabama Fire College's Board of Commissioners. In September of that year he was placed on leave during an investigation into the sale of city property. He resigned during the investigation. Ledbetter was indicted on multiple counts of felony theft and violations of the state's ethics law in 2018 and 2019. He pleaded guilty to six misdemeanor charges and was given a 12-month suspended sentence followed by 24 months of probation.
References
- Miller, Megan (May 17, 2016) "Trussville Fire Chief takes on new title with Alabama Fire College." Trussville Tribune
- "State alleges former Trussville fire chief sold, kept city vehicles for personal gain." (June 14, 2018) Trussville Tribune
- Robinson, Carol (April 26, 2019) "Former Trussville fire chief indicted on 6 felony charges." The Birmingham News
- Robinson, Carol (February 11, 2021) "Ex-Trussville fire chief gets probation after pleading guilty to theft, ethics violation." The Birmingham News