Longtime Reidsville Fire Chief David Bracken has announced his retirement effective July 1, 2023.
The City had to look no further than the Reidsville Fire Department to find its new Fire Chief.
Joshua Farmer, the City’s current Assistant Fire Chief/Fire Marshal, will assume his new duties on July 1.
Farmer was selected after a competitive process in which 21 applications were received by the City. Following a review period in which applications were reviewed and ranked, the field was narrowed down to the two most qualified finalists. The finalists were brought onsite for an intensive interview process with members of the Management Team, including both formal and informal interactions. City Manager Summer Woodard then selected Farmer after careful consideration.
“It is very impressive what future Chief Farmer has been able to accomplish at this point in his career,” City Manager Woodard said. “His drive to succeed and his personable nature gave me, and our Management Team, great confidence in his ability to move into the top role at the Fire Department. He has earned this opportunity.”
A native of Reidsville, Farmer has been a full-time member of the Reidsville Fire Department since 2014. The Reidsville High School graduate played football and baseball for the Rams and was a member of many clubs and organizations at the school. During his senior year, he decided to join the Fire Department’s Explorer Post to gain some volunteer hours for his college resume. However, he found a passion for helping others and a career that allowed him to give back to the community that had given so much to him.
In June, 2017, Farmer was promoted to Administrative Fire Captain for the City of Reidsville. Three years later, in December of 2020, he was promoted to Assistant Fire Chief/ Fire Marshal. Among his current duties, he assists in planning, directing and reviewing the activities and operations of the Fire Department, maintains the department’s budget, serves as Public Information Officer and investigates fires, conducts fire inspections and instructs public fire education classes.
Farmer has an Associate’s Degree in Fire Protection Technology from Guilford Technical Community College, a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Management from East Carolina University and will earn a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in the fall of this year. He is also a graduate of the Chief Officer Executive Development Program. Since 2013, Farmer has acquired 17 State certifications pertaining to fire, police, and emergency medical services. For the past five years, Farmer has also been a part-time Police Officer with the Reidsville Police Department.
He and his wife, Eboni, live in Reidsville. He continues to be a big supporter of the Reidsville Rams in his off time.