- Home
- Government
- Departments
- Fire & Rescue
- Fire Administration Page
Meet the Fire Administration
Fire Chief
Damien Locklear
Email: Damien.Locklear@ci.kinston.nc.us
Phone: 252-939-3164
Chief Locklear started with the Kinston Department of Fire & Rescue in January 2019. Previous fire service experience includes affiliations with Evans Cross Roads Fire Department, Cumberland Road Fire Department, and the City of Fayetteville Fire Department. Since starting his career in 2005, Chief Locklear has been afforded the opportunity to serve in many capacities to include Suppression/Operations, Recruitment, Fire & Life Safety Education, Training, and Administration. Chief Locklear is certified in many areas of the fire service. Some of these include; Fire Officer III, Technical Rescuer, Fire Instructor II, Fire & Life Safety Education III, Chief 101, and Emergency Medical Technician. Chief Locklear holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fire Science Administration and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Waldorf University, Forest City, Iowa.
Chief Locklear believes strongly in the current mission of the department and has placed his focus on a proactive vision for the department’s future. One that is based on continuous improvement moving forward as we provide the highest level of professional service to our customers through Pride, Proficiency & Integrity. The foundation of this vision begins with a high emphasis on Training, Physical Fitness & Mental Health, Community Involvement, Pride & Ownership, Communication, and Morale.
Deputy Chief
Earnest L. Davis
Email: Ernie.Davis@ci.kinston.nc.us
Phone: 252-526-2712
Deputy Chief Davis began his career with the Department in May of 1989. In 1992 Deputy Chief Davis was among one of the first Firefighters to be officially tasked as being the Fire Cause and Origin Investigators for the Department. During his tenure Deputy Chief Davis rose quickly through the ranks due to his dedication and service and was promoted to Captain in January of 1994.
Deputy Chief Davis has served as Personnel Development and Safety Captain in 1995 and in 2010 when he received North Carolina Level II Fire Inspector Certification, was tasked with the great responsibility of keeping up with Inspections and Fire Incident Records for the Department of Fire and Rescue while still on Shift as a Front-line Fire Captain.
Deputy Chief Davis was promoted to Commander in in July of 2016 and is over the Administration Staff. His main concentration of duties involves Head of Fire Cause and Origin Investigations, Fire Inspections, Fire Incident Records, and Training and Safety. In March of 2019 his position was reclassified as Deputy Chief of the Department.
Administration Captain
William J. Barss III
Email: William.Barss@ci.kinston.nc.us
Phone: 252-526-2713
Captain Barss began his career with the Department in November of 1998. Captain Barss expressed his interest in serving in the experimental program of Special Response Unit, under the merger of the Kinston Department of Public Safety where the Administration of the Fire and Police integrated a team of five Firefighters and five Police Officers and taught them the other skills of the merged program. In December of 2004 Captain Barss successfully completed Basic Law Enforcement Training and in April of 2005 was sworn in as a Public Safety Officer. Captain Barss was assigned to Special Response Unit 2 and served for six years on the street doing both Firefighting and Law Enforcement.
During that time Captain Barss was assigned as the Unit's Evidence Identification Technician which sparked interest in the Crime Scene Investigations. In January of 2011 Captain Barss was promoted over to Crime Laboratory Unit Detective and served for five years in that position. Captain Barss was afforded the opportunity to return to the Department of Fire and Rescue upon the split of Kinston Department of Public Safety to their perspective Departments of Fire and Rescue and Police. Captain Barss was tasked as becoming the Administration Captain and promoted to Captain in July of 2016.
Captain Barss has several functions to his role within the Department of Fire and Rescue; such as Fire Origin and Cause Investigator and is still a sworn Law Enforcement Officer and serves as the manager of the Origin and Cause Fire Investigations Team, Public Information Officer, Fire-Life Safety Educator Level III/Public Education Coordinator, Emergency Planner, Insurance Services Office (ISO) Rating Liaison Officer, and Community Relations Liaison Officer. In August of 2018 Captain Barss received his Certification as a Fire Investigations Technician from the International Association of Arson Investigators.
Captain Barss served Our Country for four years in the United States Marine Corps from August 1993 to August 1997.
Training Captain
Chad Jackson
Email: Chad.Jackson@ci.kinston.nc.us
Phone: 252-939-3939
Fire Inspector
Captain Jason Lee
Email: Jason.Lee@ci.kinston.nc.us
Phone: 252-939-3228
Captain Lee served Our Country in the United States Air Force as an Air Force Firefighter.
Administration Assistant
Britany Baughman
Email: Britany.Baughman@ci.kinston.nc.us
Phone: 252-939-3164
Ms. Baughman was born and raised in Lenoir and Greene County. In 2012 she worked at her local stores. Until 2014 where she then worked at Gold's Gym as a Supervisor. Ms. Baughman then started with the City of Kinston as of October 2015 as a Customer Service Representative. She transferred from Customer Service to an Administrative Assistant for Kinston Department of Fire and Rescue in June 2020.