City Manager T.C. Broadnax on Friday named a homegrown firefighter to be the new chief of Dallas Fire-Rescue.

Dominique Artis, 48, took over the 2,000-employee department immediately after the announcement — and just days after his predecessor, David Coatney, departed to become director of the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service.

Artis, a 23-year veteran of the department, was born and raised in Dallas and has been an assistant chief since October 2017.

Broadnax's swift announcement reflected officials' stated confidence in the department's current direction. Coatney, who was named chief in 2016 after a national search, had shaken up what he and others characterized as a stagnant culture and a department that hadn't adapted to changing demands.

Broadnax said in a news release that he is confident the department will be helped by Artis' "vast experience with the department and his leadership" abilities.

1 / 6Dallas Fire-Rescue Chief Dominique Artis spoke to the news media Friday at Fire Station 6 in South Dallas.(Irwin Thompson / Staff Photographer) 2 / 6Dallas Fire-Rescue Chief Dominique Artis speaks to the news media after being named chief.(Irwin Thompson / Staff Photographer) 3 / 6New Dallas Fire-Rescue Chief Dominique Artis talks with Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman Jason Evans after speaking to the news media Friday.(Irwin Thompson / Staff Photographer) 4 / 6Dallas Fire-Rescue Chief Dominique Artis speaks to the news media.(Irwin Thompson / Staff Photographer) 5 / 6Dominique Artis talks with Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman Jason Evans (left) and Asst. Chief Daniel Salazar after speaking to the news media Friday.(Irwin Thompson / Staff Photographer) 6 / 6Dominique Artis was announced as Dallas Fire-Rescue chief Friday.(Irwin Thompson / Staff Photographer)

Coatney said by phone Friday that Artis is "a great fit for the position."

"He's already a part of the current leadership team," Coatney said. "He shares our vision that if we take care of our members, they'll go out and take care of the citizens.

"He's going to do things in his own way, follow his own model to get there. But at the end of the day, he has a servant's heart."

The news release said Artis considers Coatney and his predecessor, Louie Bright III, to be mentors.

Jim McDade, president of the Dallas Fire Fighters Association, said he was pleased with the city manager's decision to hire from within the ranks.

"We did not want to have an interim chief," McDade said. "We think staying internal was the right decision in this case, and we look forward to working with Chief Artis for years to come."

Artis, who was born and raised in Dallas, joined the department in 1995. Over the years he served as a lieutenant over Fire Control and Rescue, captain of EMS Administration and deputy chief of operations. After the departures of two assistant chiefs — both were among the finalists for the top job in 2016 — Coatney made Artis an assistant chief over administration and training.

Fire officials had identified training as an area of great need after the on-duty death of Stanley Wilson in a 2013 blaze. Before then, much of the department's training after the academy had been of the on-the-job variety.

Coatney's administration revamped training efforts. He also tried to address firefighter health issues — from both the physical and mental demands of the job — and remodel the emergency medical staffing. The city also hopes to implement a long-planned tiered-dispatch software system that will determine what level of emergency response is necessary for 911 callers.

Artis said the software will help with response times for true emergencies. McDade said the department needs the new system because there has "to be a better way to respond to the lower-level calls."

Artis' broad goals — which he announced during a news conference Friday at Fire Station 6 in South Dallas — squared with Coatney's. The new chief said he hoped to improve the department's efficiency, address the strain on paramedics and find ways to keep firefighters safe.

While the fire department does not have the same staffing issues as the police department, Artis said recruiting and retention will be among his priorities, especially among paramedics.

"Our medics, they are the backbone to what we do, day in and day out," he said. "It is important that we take care of them as well."