Fire Chief Retirement and New Chief Announcement

The Hendersonville Fire Department formally recognized the retirement of Chief D. James Miller and the promotion of Deputy Chief Justin Ward at the City Council meeting held on February 5, 2026. During the meeting, Chief Miller was recognized for his 35 years in the fire service, with the past decade in service to the Hendersonville community.  

“I have been blessed to be here, and I have been blessed to work for the citizens and visitors,” said Chief Miller as he addressed the City Council. “I’m very thankful to each and every one of you. The kudos ought to go to the men and women in our department that make it look easy.” 

Since 1991, Chief Miller served in a variety of positions in the fire service including Firefighter, EMT, Paramedic, Lieutenant, Administrative Captain, Battalion Chief, and Assistant Chief, with specializations as a Type 2 Urban Search and Rescue Team Officer, Hazardous Materials Technician, Special Operations Toxicological Paramedic, and Gold Team member of a Division of Forestry Incident Management Team.   

Joining the HFD team as Deputy Fire Chief in 2016 and as Chief in 2020, Chief Miller served a distinguished career with the City of Hendersonville, elevating and improving the Fire Department in numerous ways including: 

• Designation as an ISO Class 1 agency rating, the highest possible Public Protection Classification (PPC) awarded to fire departments, representing superior fire suppression capabilities and a level that less than 1% of fire departments across the nation are able to achieve.  

• The oversight and construction of the City’s headquarter station, Fire Station #1, opened in September of 2024 and served as the City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) during the historic tropical storm Helene.  

• Planning and replacement of Engines 9-1, Engine 9-2, and Tower 9-1.  

• Planning and purchase of Engine 9-3, in conjunction with the establishment of a third engine company, hiring twelve new firefighters, establishing Battalion Chiefs, and ultimately improving the City’s reliability measure to greater than 90%.  

• Creating strong relationships with neighboring departments, internal departments and staff, and creating succession plans for advancement within the fire department. 

During the presentation, Chief Miller was honored with a note from Senator Ted Budd’s office, as well as a plaque from his HFD command staff. He was described as a leader who has guided the department with calm and clarity. 

Deputy City Manager Brian Pahle thanked Chief Miller for his service and mentorship and read a resolution of respect and appreciation. 

City Council passed the resolution that renames the Fire Station 1 Training Room as the ‘Chief D. James Miller Emergency Operations Center’ in appreciation of his valuable service and leadership. 

After Miller’s recognition, Justin Ward was sworn in as Hendersonville’s new Fire Chief.  

Chief Ward has served with the Hendersonville Fire Department since 2007. Prior to joining the City, he worked full-time with the Valley Hill Fire Department and alongside his father in construction. Throughout his career, Ward has served as Firefighter, Engineer, Lieutenant, Captain, Fire Marshal, and most recently, Deputy Chief. 

“I am deeply grateful to the City Council, Administration, Chief Miller, and our entire staff for the opportunity to lead this outstanding organization,” Ward said. “I also want to sincerely thank my wife and family for their constant support and sacrifice throughout this journey - none of this would be possible without them. Having been a part of this organization for the past 17 years, I have seen firsthand how far we’ve come, and I am incredibly proud of the progress we have made together. I’m excited for the future and look forward to continuing to serve this great community that I call home.”