Derrick J. V. Sawyer is a 35-year veteran of the fire service and currently serves as an Antiterrorism Officer with the Defense Logistics Agency. Prior to this role, Derrick served as an Emergency Management Specialist with the Department of Defense and as a Training Specialist with FEMA—Federal Emergency Management Agency. Derrick served as the Fire Chief for Upper Darby Township, PA. Chief Sawyer served as the 19th Fire Commissioner of the Philadelphia Fire Department (PFD) from June 2014 to May 2016. He provided leadership for the more than 2,400 members within the department. Retiring from the PFD after 31 years of service, Sawyer served as the Fire Director for Trenton Fire and Emergency Services in Trenton, New Jersey.
Over the past decade, Chief Sawyer has traveled the globe to educate diverse communities on the effectiveness of Community Risk Reduction and fire & life safety education. Among his most impactful presentations were the 2011 International Safety Seminar in Seoul, Korea, and the National Fire
Protection Association's Annual Conference. He led the award-winning Fire Prevention Division, and because of his hands-on leadership, he assisted the Fire Department in reducing the number of fire fatalities in the City of Philadelphia to the lowest rate in recorded history.
Chief Sawyer has augmented his academic accomplishments by graduating from the National Fire Academy's Executive Fire Officer Program, the Carl Holmes Executive Development Institute, and The Harvard Kennedy School of Executive Education for State and Local Government. He has obtained certifications as Fire Officer IV, Fire Instructor II, Fire Inspector, Hazardous Material Technician, and Firefighter II. Sawyer also holds an Associate Degree in Fire Science from Community College of Philadelphia, a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Public Safety Administration from Holy Family University, and a Master of Science degree in Homeland Security from Saint Joseph's University.
