Meet the Chief

Fire Chief James Brown has served the emergency services community since 1984 with the support of his wife, Gena. Brown’s career in the fire service began with the Burleson Volunteer Fire Department in 1984. He was hired by the City of North Richland Hills Fire Department in 1987 and promoted through the years to the rank of Battalion Chief. While there, he served as a Shift Commander, Training Coordinator, and Emergency Medical Services Coordinator. In addition, he served as the Hazardous Materials Coordinator for a 14-city Emergency Response Team.

Chief Brown was appointed Fire Chief for the City of Kennedale in December 2018. In this capacity, he also serves as the Fire Marshal and the city’s Emergency Management Coordinator. His progressive leadership style and vision have resulted in many positive organizational changes.

Chief Brown has an associate degree from Tarrant County College in Fire Protection Technology and a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Science in Emergency Management Administration from West Texas A&M University. In addition to his degrees, he completed the Fire Service and Chief Executive Officer program from Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service in March 2015. He is a Licensed Paramedic and holds numerous Fire Service Certifications, including Master Fire Inspector, Master Fire Investigator, Master Fire Instructor, and Fire Officer I, II, III, and IV.