At the end of the month, the city of High Point will have a new top dog when it comes to fighting fires in the city.

City Manager Tasha Logan Ford announced on Monday, March 25, that Deputy Chief Brian Evans has been appointed as the interim fire chief, effective March 30.

 Ford said Evans’ knowledge and extensive experience led to his selection.

“Deputy Chief Evans has 28 years of service with the High Point Fire Department, believes in ensuring the safety and well-being of our community and has demonstrated a commitment to growth in the fire service,” she stated in a press release announcing the appointment. “Brian continues to be committed to both the City organization and the broader High Point community.”

Evans began his career with the High Point Fire Department in 1995 as a firefighter and rose through the years to captain, battalion chief and assistant chief before becoming deputy fire chief and now interim chief.

The new interim chief  has obtained a degree in fire protection technology from Guilford Technical Community College and has worked in several emergency response fields such as hazmat and technical rescue.

He also assisted FEMA as a strike team leader during Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita.

Evans stated that he welcomes this new opportunity.

 “I’m honored to have the privilege of leading our department,” he said, adding that the city’s firefighters will continue serving the people of the city at “the highest level with the best we have.”

Over the years he has also played a key role in shaping the department’s operations, budget and emergency response strategies.

Evans was promoted to Deputy Fire Chief in March of 2018.

He’s a North Carolina Level I Fire Inspector, certified as a North Carolina Hazardous Material Technician and a Weapons of Mass Destruction Hazmat Specialist.

 He is married with three children.

An executive search firm will conduct the effort to identify a permanent fire chief and it’s probably a good guess that Evans will be one of the applicants for that job.

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