Fire Chief Robert Isbell has announced he will soon be leaving Round Rock to lead the Stephenville Fire Department. 

Isbell has guided the Round Rock Fire Department through approximately five years of rapid growth, which saw the opening of multiple fire stations and the City’s state-of-the-art Public Safety Training Center. During that time, Isbell led the department’s transition toward a data-driven, proactive approach to public safety through the Community Risk Reduction program, and helped the department earn an ISO 1 rating. Isbell led the Department through the COVID-19 pandemic, coordinating with local authorities to develop internal protocols that were adopted regionally. His last day as Round Rock’s Chief will be Oct. 1. 

“I am so proud of everything we have been able to accomplish over the last five years, and I am grateful to this community for its continued support of our organization and innovative ideas,” Isbell said. “This is truly a bittersweet goodbye as I look forward to the opportunity to be closer to more family and begin our new chapter in an area that has so much sentimental value to us.” 

The City expects to name an interim chief in the coming weeks.