Chris Black has been named Fire Chief of the Texarkana Texas Fire Department. Black, who had previously been serving as the Interim Fire Chief is a 26-year veteran of TTFD.
City Manager David Orr made the appointment earlier this week, pending
confirmation from the Texarkana, Texas City Council.
“Chief Black is an exemplary leader, and we are fortunate to have such a wealth
of experience taking the helm and leading TTFD forward,” Orr said. “I am proud
of the work of our firefighters and first responders to keep our City safe, and am
confident in Chris’s ability to manage this important city function,” Orr said.
Chief Black began his career with the Texarkana Texas Fire Department in 1997
after graduating as Valedictorian of his Kilgore College Fire Academy class. He
was promoted to driver/engineer in 2003 and achieved the rank of Captain and
was appointed a Deputy Fire Marshall in 2007. In 2008, he graduated as
Valedictorian from the Police Academy at Kilgore College.
Chris was promoted to Fire Marshal in 2010 and Assistant Fire Chief in 2013. He
holds an Associates Degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Texarkana
College, an Associates in Fire Science from Louisiana State University, and a
Bachelors of Applied Arts and Sciences from Texas A&M University- Texarkana
“I look forward to leading TTFD and continuing to work alongside quality men
and women who show professionalism, pride, and hard work every day,” Black
said. “The people who make up this great department are the keys to success,
and I’m excited to step into this role.”
The Texarkana Texas Fire Department is divided functionally into three divisions:
Administration, Operations, and Building Life Safety Division. The department
employs 72 firefighters who work on three rotating 24-hour shifts and are
housed at five stations across the City.
