Inverness Fire Chief Robert (Bobby) Bessler was born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. After graduating from the Broward Fire Academy in 1994, Bobby became a volunteer firefighter for the City of Wilton Manors.
While visiting with relatives numerous times, Bobby fell in love with the beauty and nature of the area. In 1998, Bobby and his family moved to Floral City to escape the big city and enjoy the peaceful and laidback lifestyle that the Nature Coast has to offer.
After arriving, Bobby immediately joined the local volunteer fire department – Floral City Fire Department. At the time, Citrus County was a 100% volunteer department. Bobby quickly rose through the ranks and eventually became the Floral City Fire Chief.
In 2004, he accepted a full-time position with the Citrus County Department of Public Safety as the Special Operations Hazardous Materials Specialist. After continuing to work his way through the ranks, Bobby was promoted to Battalion Chief. He served with Citrus County Fire Rescue for more than 24 years and made the decision to move to a leading role as Fire Chief for the Inverness Fire Department.
Bobby has been a City of Inverness resident since 2016 and has two grown children. He was previously a member of the Inverness Zoning Board of Adjustment. He graduated from Columbia Southern University with a degree in Fire Science.
Bobby is an avid outdoorsman. His hobbies include hunting, fishing, hiking, scuba diving and enjoying the local waterways.