Nicholaus Geiser, a 17-year veteran of the Biloxi Fire Department who currently serves as Deputy Chief of Management, is Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich’s choice for chief of the department.
The appointment, which must be approved by the majority of the Biloxi City Council, is on the council’s agenda for Tuesday. Geiser, if approved, will replace Biloxi Fire Chief Joe Boney, who has notified Mayor Gilich that his last day in the department will be Aug. 5.
Geiser, 41, has been a Biloxi firefighter since July 2004 and has been promoted up the ranks: Firefighter II in July 2005 and Firefighter III in August 2007. In November 2010, he was assigned as a field training officer and held that position for nearly two years until he was reassigned as a Firefighter III in February 2012. Then in May of 2016, Geiser was promoted to fire captain and served in that role until March 2019, when he was named Deputy Chief of Training and Biloxi’s Emergency Manager.
In those positions, Geiser oversaw the training of all newly hired Biloxi firefighters and was responsible for informing employees, residents and visitors on how to prepare for natural disasters and other emergencies.
Geiser, a Biloxi native, graduated from Biloxi High School and graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi with a double major in Business Management and Accounting.
He became a firefighter for a few reasons, including family advice, he said. “First, my uncles talked it up as the best job in the world. Second, the city reimbursed my tuition to finish up the degree and get the second one, and, third, I had a desire to help people and not sit behind a desk for the rest of my life.”
Geiser’s two uncles are Mike Geiser and Jimmy Geiser, who today are both retired Biloxi firefighters.
As part of his fire duties, Geiser is also a member of the Mississippi Task Force 3, an urban search and rescue team trained to conduct recovery and rescue operations after disasters. He has participated in several deployments, including efforts throughout Mississippi as well as in Florida for Hurricanes Michael and Dorian and Louisiana for Hurricane Laura.
Mayor Gilich also announced that Jason Earl Davis, currently Deputy Chief for Training, will become the department’s assistant chief, a position held by Mark Dronet, who retired earlier this year.
Davis, 44, has been with the department since September 1998 as a Firefighter I. He rose up the ranks: Firefighter II in September 1999, Firefighter III in October 2001 and Fire Inspector in 2003, a position he held until 2006. After an eight-month break from the department, Davis returned as a Firefighter III in November 2006. He held that position until July 2011, when he was promoted to Fire Captain. In July 2019, Davis was named a Battalion Chief, and in June of this year, he was named Deputy Chief of Training.
The appointment of Davis does not require council approval.
See the Geiser resolution on the council agenda
See the City Council agendas for Tuesday
Video: Nick Geiser on hurricane prep in 2020
