Associate
Fire Chief, Town of Wake Forest, North Carolina
Chief Early has more than 30 years of fire and EMS experience as a practitioner, middle manager, and Chief Officer in the planning, organizing, leading, and administration of Fire and EMS department operations. Since 2008, Chief Early has commanded the Town of Wake Forest, NC Fire Department. The Town of Wake Forest fire department is a combination fire department that provides fire suppression, basic life support emergency medical services first response, hazardous material response, fire prevention, emergency management oversight, and fire and emergency medical services training programs. The department serves the Town of Wake Forest and a surrounding unincorporated fire district.
Prior to his appointment in Wake Forest, Chief Early served the Portsmouth, VA Fire and EMS Department for twenty years. In Portsmouth, Chief Early rose through the ranks from firefighter to Chief Officer, working in all areas of this department as a practitioner, company officer, and middle manage assigned to engine and ladder companies, EMS transport, and professional development. Chief Early’s final assignment in Portsmouth prior to leaving for Wake Forest was as the Division Commander for Emergency Medical Services, where he oversaw the department’s EMS transport operation, EMS billing, training, and administration of this departmental division.
Chief Early holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Troy University, is a 2011 graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program, holds the certification of Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic, and holds the rank of 2 nd Lieutenant with the North Carolina Civil Air Patrol in charge of Emergency Services.