The Asheville Fire Department is proud to announce the promotions of three of its Chief Officers into key leadership positions.
Wayne Hamilton and Barry Hendren have each been promoted to the position of Assistant Fire Chief, and Chris Budzinski will now serve as Deputy Fire Chief.
“We are very excited about the new leadership team, and anticipate they will serve the City of Asheville Fire Department well in moving it forward to the next level,” said AFD Chief Scott Burnette. “Each of these chief officers brings to the table a diverse set of skills and abilities that will add to the continuous improvement of the department and contribute to the service of this community.”
Wayne Hamilton has been with the department since 1989, has 20 years’ experience as Fire Marshal. Barry Hendren, also with the department since 1989, most recently served as Division Chief-Safety and Training. Chris Budzinski has been with the department since 2001, and prior to promotion served as Acting Division Chief.
All three underwent specialized training and a rigorous examination and performance review process including interviews with internal and external stakeholders and city department heads, as well as a performance review by their peers.