Police and Fire chiefs announce departures in Ocean Springs

The fire chief is resigning and the police chief is retiring in Ocean Springs.

Police Chief Ryan LeMaire announced his plans to retire at the end of February.

Chief LeMaire was named interim chief in October 2023, accepting the full position in December 2023.

He has been a law enforcement officer for 25 years.

At the fire department, Chief Ryan Heath put in his resignation today.

Heath’s resignation will go into effect at the end of the month.

He first became chief in June 2024, saying he is resigning as he found another opportunity that would benefit his family. In a statement, Heath said, “It has been my great honor to serve the City of Ocean Springs for the last 19 years. My decision to resign as the Chief of OSFD comes after being afforded an opportunity to advance my career with the Jackson County Office of Emergency Services. This opportunity will allow great personal and professional growth which positively impacts not only my professional career but the betterment of my family. As such, I tendered my resignation on the morning of Monday January 6th with my last day being January 31st.”