The City of Hoover is known for safe neighborhoods and first-class public safety, and I personally devoted four decades to keeping the people of Hoover safe.
Deciding to run for mayor was not easy. I loved being the police chief. But when I saw that our city’s investment in public safety was starting to take a back seat to other priorities, I knew I could not stay on the sidelines.
It is not enough for Hoover to sustain. We need to lead. During the campaign, I told residents that on day one, I would address several areas of concern and recommit to investing in public safety.
Before my administration, the Hoover Police and Fire Departments’ operational budgets were cut by 10%. As police chief, I saw the impact these budget cuts had on our ability to deliver the standard of excellence our residents had come to expect.
Even more concerning was the dangerous emergency transport situation in Ross Bridge and Greystone Legacy. When emergency transports were activated, fire stations were forced to close, which was a reality our first responders faced far too often.
I am grateful that the Hoover City Council was equally committed to addressing these public safety concerns quickly. After we took the reins of city government, we went to work.
In December, the City Council accepted my proposal to spend $2 million to purchase 35 new vehicles for the Hoover Police Department. Many of the vehicles being replaced were 2011 models with more than 200,000 miles. This was not reckless spending; it was long overdue.
The council also approved a 2026 operating budget that provides for seven new firefighters and paramedics, three new police officers, and an additional court magistrate. The capital budget also included $1.2 million for a new fire engine, replacing a 1995 model that was well past its useful life.
New Fire Station 1 is also nearly complete, with a move-in planned for this summer, a modern facility replacing one that was long overdue for replacement.
I am also proud to share that the Hoover Fire Department has earned ISO 1 status, the highest classification in the country. We are one of only 411 departments in the nation to hold that designation and the only department in Alabama that is both ISO 1 and nationally accredited. That is a testament to the caliber of the men and women serving this city.
We have fully funded both our police and fire departments and reversed the shortsighted operational budget cuts. I have said it before, and I will say it again: investing in public safety is not an expense; it is an investment.
Being a safe city is fundamental to Hoover’s past and future success, and we can never afford to forget that. In Hoover, we will never accept that fire stations must close, even temporarily, to provide basic, life-saving emergency transport services to our residents.
The new funding for additional staff will ensure this never happens again. The Council and I also worked together to recruit and retain the right leaders for our police and fire departments.
Thankfully, our longtime fire chief, Clay Bentley, decided to stay on, and after due diligence, we hired Clay Morris as our new Chief of Police. Chief Morris previously worked for the Drug Enforcement Administration and served as Pell City’s police chief.
It takes teamwork and partnership to make lasting change quickly, and I am grateful to have partners like the Hoover City Council. In a short time, we have accomplished a lot, and we are just getting started.
Nick Derzis is the eighth mayor of Hoover. He previously served as Hoover’s Chief of Police for over two decades.
