On May 28, 2005, The City of Morrow’s Mayor and Council named Mark W. Herendeen as the City’s Fire Chief. Chief Herendeen has served in the fire service for over 30 years. He started his career as a firefighter in the summer of 1977 in Grand River Ohio, and in the summer of 1978 he joined the Painesville Township Fire Department as a firefighter / EMT where he worked until the spring of 2002. Chief Herendeen worked through the Officer ranks and became Chief of Grand River in 1997 until he accepted the position of Chief for The City of Morrow in 2005.

On December 10, 2008, Chief Herendeen was designated as a "Chief Fire Officer" (CFO) by the Commission on Professional Credentialing. Chief Herendeen earned the professional designation as witnessed by a team of his peers and members of the Commission on Professional Credentialing. Chief Herendeen demonstrated through education, leadership and management skills that he possesses the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities required for the fire and emergency services profession. Chief Herendeen joined an elite group to become one of just 616 CFOs in the country.

Chief Herendeen received his Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Business Administration from Lake Erie College. Chief Herendeen also holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Shorter College where he graduated with a 4.0 GPA and was inducted into the Sigma Beta Delta Honor Society. Chief Herendeen has received both his Green Belt and Black Belt Certification in Six Sigma from Kaplan University.

Chief Herendeen is a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, Georgia Association Fire Chiefs, Georgia State Firefighters Association, Metro Atlanta Fire Chiefs’ Association, Safety Officers Association, and currently serves as a lobbyist on the Legislation Committee for the Georgia Association of Fire Chiefs’.