November 3, 2016
Brownwood chief tapped to lead Murphy Fire Rescue
MUPRHY (November 3, 2016) After an extensive search, the City of Murphy has named Del Albright as Fire Chief, according to City Manager Michael Castro.
Chief Albright is currently the Fire Chief and Emergency Management Coordinator in the central Texas community of Brownwood. He has held the position of Fire Chief in that city since 2006. Before assuming his current position, Chief Albright served as Assistant Chief and Deputy Chief at Travis AFB in California.
Prior to that position, he was a Firefighter/Paramedic in Keller, a Fire Captain in Vacaville, CA and a Fire Captain at Travis AFB. He earned an associate in applied science degree in Fire Science and a bachelor of science degree in Fire Science Management from the American Military University in Charles Town, WV. He completed the Non-commissioned Officers Course and Senior Non-commissioned Officers Course while in the US Air Force and served in Iraq.
“I’m confident that Chief Albright is the right person to lead Murphy Fire Rescue and build upon the solid reputation of the department,” said Castro. “We had an impressive number of extremely qualified candidates; Chief Albright should be justifiably proud that he rose to the top of our list.”
The Brownwood Fire Department operates out of two fire stations and employs 34 personnel, including firefighter/paramedics, supervisors, a Fire Marshal and various support personnel.
Among Chief Albright’s numerous certifications are Head of Department Fire Suppression, Fire Officer III, Master Fire Instructor, Master Firefighter, HAZMAT Incident Commander, HAZMAT Technician Paramedic, EMS Instructor and Field Examiner. He also holds a number of certifications specific to the state of California.
He is a member of the Texas Type 3 Incident Management Team, an Executive Board Member of the Texas Fire Chief’s Association, and Board Member of the West Central Texas Council of Governments Homeland Security Advisory Board. He is also a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the National Fire Protection Association, the Emergency Management Association of Texas, and is on the Steering Committee of the Texas Interstate Fire Mutual Aid System.
The City of Brownwood is a community with a population of 19,000 and is home to Howard Payne University. Brownwood’s ISO Class was upgraded during Chief Albright’s tenure from Class 5 to Class 3.
Chief Albright, who will start on Dec. 5, replaces Chief Mark Lee, now Fire Chief in Garland, who ably led the department through its establishment and subsequent growth. Retired Fire Chief Ed Henderson served in the interim. "The city is grateful to Ed Henderson for his stewardship. Chief Henderson paved the way for a smooth transition within the department," said Castro.
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