Fire Chief Ken Hair has made the following promotions from within the department that will be effective later this month.

Chris Jacobs has been promoted to Assistant Chief/Fire Marshal effective Aug. 24.  Jacobs has served the department since September 2001.  He has been a Captain since Jan. 16, 2018 and has previously held the rank of Lieutenant.  The title of this position was changed from Assistant Chief/Prevention to Assistant Chief/Fire Marshal as the Chief added the responsibilities and duties of Fire Investigations and Emergency Management to this position.

Jonathan Wright will be promoted to Captain on Aug. 25. Wright has been with the department since January 2003 and has served as a Lieutenant since June 23, 2015.

Anthony Harrison will be promoted to Lieutenant on Aug. 25. Harrison has been with the department since July 2008 and has served as a Driver/Operator since Oct. 9, 2018.  This will be his first Officer assignment.

Hunter Winkler has been promoted to Driver/Operator effective Aug. 23. Winkler has worked full-time with the department since March 2016.

Cassidy Auton has been promoted to full-time to Firefighter I effective Aug. 23. Auton has been a member of our part-time pool since January 2020.

“All of these individuals have done a lot for the Fire Department and City since beginning their full-time careers with Lenoir,” Chief Hair said. “They already possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities to excel in their new positions. With their commitment and drive for the fire service, they will do a great job for our City, Department, Citizens and future hires for our department.”

The promotions of officers and driver/operator were based on the department’s Internal Assessment Center conducted by the Chief Officers of Lenoir Fire Department.  Each candidate had to pass a written exam, go through an interview process, and a practical scenario.  Highest total score available established the ranking for each position.

The Fire Department is always looking for dedicated people to serve the City of Lenoir. The majority of firefighters start out as part-time just like Auton. Part-timers are first in line when full-time opportunities open up. Click here to check out the job description for part-time firefighters.

Pictured from left: Chris Jacobs, Jonathan Wright, Anthony Harrison, Hunter Winkler, and Cassidy Auton.

Roger Barlow retires

Congratulations to Roger Barlow on his retirement! Barlow officially retired from the City of Lenoir Fire Department Saturday, Aug. 1, 2020.

Barlow started working for the City of Lenoir as a Firefighter in 1978. He served as a Firefighter for 12 years before leaving the City for other opportunities. Barlow returned to the City as a Police Telecommunicator in 2001 and was transferred back to the Fire Department in 2002.

In 2004, Barlow was promoted to a Driver/Operator. He earned his Fire Inspector Certificate in 2006 and was promoted to Battalion Chief in 2007. In 2009 Barlow earned his Fire Marshall Certification and in 2012, he also took on the Fire Marshall role for the City. In 2018, Barlow was promoted to Assistant Chief of Fire Prevention/Fire Inspector. He served a total of 31 years with the City of Lenoir.