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Fire Chief Don Horton began his career in the fire
service with Richmond, Virginia, Department of Fire and Emergency
Services in March of 1980. Within seven years Horton had reached the
rank of Fire Lieutenant and then Fire Captain, coordinating all fire
service functions of his home station.
He became the department’s first public information officer, then onto
the position of the department’s support services division commander
with the responsibility for day-to-day support services operations. He
was next promoted to deputy fire marshal, then acting fire marshal.
While fire marshal, with the assistance of what he described as a
“dedicated team of fire professionals”, Richmond, Virginia, realized in
2005 a zero fire death loss through a concerted effort of education,
engineering and code enforcement for the first time in more than 20
years.
Chief Horton served as the Richmond department’s deputy chief and fire
operations chief for four years. As deputy chief, his duties included
budget preparation, general management and command of the department in
the chief’s absence.
Chief Horton developed the Richmond department’s first mentorship
program for Richmond’s public school students. He coordinated Project
Safe Place, providing Richmond’s fire stations as places that troubled
youth could go to receive help, and also mentored Fire Explorer members.
He received the Junior Officer of the Year award in 1992 and 1998, the
award of Support Services Officer of the Year in 1998, the Life Safety
Achievement Award in 2000 and is a noted Richmond Public Schools Role
Model.
Most recently Chief Horton served as Fire Chief in Pine Bluff Arkansas.
Chief Horton received his Associate’s Degree in Fire Science in 2004 and
his Bachelor’s in Business Administration in 2007. Chief Horton’s
primary goal is to keep his focus on the survival and growth of the
community.
He is married to Shirley Horton, his wife of 18 years and has one
daughter, Sherri; one son, Dion; and one grandson, Blair. |
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