Battalions I and II

The Lakeland Fire Department has six Battalion Chiefs. The six are divided among the two battalions within the department. Two Battalion Chiefs serve during each shift, overseeing their respective battalions and serving as Incident Commanders on major incidents.

Battalion Chief Jason Busby

Battalion Chief Jason Busby, Battalion 1, A-Shift

Jason Busby joined Lakeland Fire Department in 2004, where he served as a firefighter for eight years until his promotion to Lieutenant in 2012. Five years later, in 2017, Jason was then again promoted to assume his most recent role as Rescue Captain for the past four years.

Jason is a Lakeland native, born and raised. He graduated from George Jenkins High School and earned his fire standards at Ridge Technical College. Jason graduated from Polk State College with an Associate of Science in Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and his Paramedic and EMT certifications. He is affiliate faculty for the American Heart Association (AHA) and National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT), a Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) Instructor, and maintains a CPR and ACLS certification.

Battalion Chief Dan Faviere

Battalion Chief Dan Faviere, Battalion 1, B-Shift

Dan Faviere has been with the Lakeland Fire Department (LFD) since November 29, 1993, when he joined the department as a Firefighter, at Fire Station 1 on A-Shift. Prior to becoming Battalion Chief, Dan served as a Driver Engineer and Lieutenant. Battalion Chief Faviere’s career in the fire service started in Cape Coral, Florida where he worked as a volunteer Firefighter.

Dan is native of Ontario, Canada, where he grew up, after transplanting at the age of four from Montevideo, Uruguay, where he was born. He attended Erindale High School in Ontario, and graduated soon after from George Brown College as a certified Welder and Fitter. Dan graduated with fire standards from North Fort Myers Fire Academy and also holds a certificate in Architectural Technology. He enjoyed a career as an Iron Worker for eight years, prior to transitioning to the fire service.

Dan has an associate's degree in Fire Science and is currently working towards a Bachelor of Science degree in Fire Administration and Fire Investigation. In addition to his degree, Dan holds certificates as a Fire Officer I, and II, Instructor I, and Fire Safety Inspector I. He is also certified in Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) at the Technician level and serves as an instructor for internal USAR training. Dan is also Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting certified.

Dan is a member of the Florida Fire Chiefs' Association.

Battalion Chief Jim Craw

Battalion Chief Jim Craw, Battalion 1, C-Shift

Battalion Chief Jim Craw joined the Lakeland Fire Department in June 1992. After 7 years as a Firefighter, Chief Craw was promoted to Lieutenant in 2000. Now, he is promoted to Battalion Chief.

Chief Craw graduated with his associate’s degree from the University of North Florida in 1992. He completed fire standards from Florida State College in Jacksonville in 1991 and the paramedic program at Lake Tech College. In 2012, Chief Craw graduated with his bachelor’s degree from Polk State College.

Before beginning his career in the fire service, Chief Craw was a Law Enforcement Officer. With a passion for leadership and career advancement, he earned a collection of certifications including HAZMAT Tech, Fire Officer I, Fire Officer II, Live Fire Instructor II, Fire Inspector, Fire Instructor III, Pump Operator, FLUSAR Rescue Specialist, and USAR Strike Team/Task Force Leader.

Chief Craw is currently aiming to complete ARFF and SPRAT Level I certifications. His primary goal with this promotion is to continue to learn and improve as a person.

We sincerely congratulate Battalion Chief Craw on his promotion. With an expansive career with LFD, we are confident in his ability to continue to be a valuable asset to the department and the community.

Battalion Chief Jim Hewitt

Battalion Chief Jim Hewitt, Battalion 2, A-Shift

Jim Hewitt joined Lakeland Fire Department in 2002, where he served as a firefighter for nine years. He finished his paramedic training in 2006 and, five years later, in 2011, was promoted to the role of Lieutenant. Jim has served as Lieutenant for ten years before serving as Rescue Captain. After a brief time as Rescue Captain, Jim was then promoted to Battalion Chief.

Jim is a City of Lakeland native, graduated from Polk State College with an Associate of Science in Emergency Medical Services (EMS). He maintains several certifications to include Paramedic, Instructor, Inspector, and Fire Officer 1 & 2. Jim is part of Lakeland Fire Department's Aircraft Rescue & Firefighting (ARFF) division and the Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) division and has been a dedicated and reliable educator in these areas for many years.

Battalion Chief Matthew W. Smith, Battalion 2, B-Shift

Matthew W. Smith joined the Lakeland Fire Department in February 2004 and has been dedicated to the department for the past 20 years. Matthew has been persistent in his professional goals, serving as a Firefighter/EMT from 2004 to 2009 before being promoted to Driver/Engineer in October 2009, Lieutenant in March 2010, and Rescue Captain in April 2017.

Matthew graduated from George Jenkins High School in 2000, completing Fire Standards from Ridge Fire Academy in 2001 and the Emergency Medical Technician program at Polk State College in 2002. He also earned his Paramedic certification from Florida Medical Training Institute in 2010 and his associate degree in Fire Science from Polk State College in 2016.

Matthew has received many certifications throughout his career, including Instructor I, Fire Officer I, Fire Officer 2, and Live Fire Training Instructor by the Division of State Fire Marshal. With strong roots in the Rescue Division, he is a state-certified Incident Safety Officer, a CPR, BLS, ACLS Instructor, and a Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support Instructor. Notably, Matthew is certified by the National Fire Academy as Command and Control of Multiple Alarm Incidents and is a graduate of the Emergency Services Leadership Institute. He is an active member of the Medical Quality Assurance Committee in Polk County, FL, and on the LFD Policy Committee.
Continuously striving for further growth, Matthew is currently enrolled at Polk State College to pursue a bachelor’s degree in public safety administration.

Battalion Chief John Maddox

Battalion Chief John Maddox, Battalion 2, C-Shift

John Maddox has served as Battalion Chief since 2010. Battalion Chief Maddox began his career with the department in 1995 as a firefighter. He served a Lieutenant prior to his promotion to Battalion Chief. He also serves as program coordinator for the department’s Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) operations.

John holds many certifications including Fire Officer I, Fire Inspector I, Fire Instructor, Emergency Medical Technician, State Pump Operator, and Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting prior to his promotion to Battalion Chief.

John is a member of the Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Working Group, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and serves on the NFPA’s Technical Committee for ARFF. He is also a member of the Region 4/6 All Hazards Incident Management Team for the State of Florida.

John has also completed multiple fire science courses at area colleges and is a graduate of Florida State University’s Certified Public Manager program. John is a graduate of the Florida Fire Chiefs' Association's (FFCA) Emergency Services Leadership Institute (ESLI).