The Mobile City Council unanimously approved the appointment of Johnny Morris, Jr., as the next chief of the Mobile Fire-Rescue Department Tuesday.

“Right now, I’m just taking it all in. We intend to hit the ground running,” Morris said. “I’ve been given a championship team, so how do you do better with a championship team? You make a legacy, a dynasty of excellence.”

Morris is a Mobile native and has over 30 years of experience in the fire department and currently serves as assistant chief – until taking the top job on November 4, when current Chief Jeremy Lami leaves the department for the private sector.

Morris said he hopes to continue the accomplishments that began under his predecessors’ tenures, as well as improve community engagement. The fire department has received an Insurance Services Office “Class-1″ (ISO-1) accreditation, a Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services “Gold Standard” accreditation and the Commission on Fire Accreditation International “Accredited Agency” status. It is one of only nine departments in the nation to achieve all three.

Morris is Mobile’s 17th fire chief and will be the first African American to lead the department in the history of the city. His appointment comes months after the department was sued by a former firefighter, alleging discrimination on the basis of race, sex and religion.