Fire service veteran and former county commissioner Gary Farley has been promoted to TDCI’s assistant commissioner overseeing the Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office, the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance announced.

Farley, a Murfreesboro native, has served as director of the SFMO’s Electrical, Residential, and Marina Inspections section since 2011 where he oversaw the certification of state code inspectors as well as electrical inspections across the State of Tennessee.

Additionally, he oversaw the successful launch and completion of the state’s first marina inspection program and has been instrumental in the success of Tennessee’s residential building code program.  

“Gary’s expertise, leadership, and knowledge of all aspects of fire safety and code compliance will help further our mission of protecting Tennessee consumers while ensuring we continue to provide the highest level of customer service,” said TDCI Commissioner and State Fire Marshal Julie Mix McPeak. 

As assistant commissioner of Fire Prevention, Farley will direct the day-to-day operations of the SFMO’s eight sections, including the Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy, the Codes Enforcement section, and the Tennessee Firefighting Commission.

A 1976 graduate of Oakland High School, Farley began his career as a firefighter for the Murfreesboro Fire & Rescue Department in 1984. He was promoted to assistant fire chief of Murfreesboro Fire Rescue Department in 1994 and promoted again to its operations chief in 1998.

Farley served as a Rutherford County Commissioner from 1994 to 2014 and also served on the Rutherford County Planning Commission from 2006 to 2010. He currently serves on the Rutherford County Board of Zoning Appeals.

He is married to Deborah Farley and has four children: Bobby, Carla, Chad, and Chris.

For more information about the Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s office, visit www.tn.gov/fire.