El Paso Fire Department appoints new fire chief

EL PASO, TX – The City of El Paso announced the appointment of Jonathan Killings as the new Fire Chief, after serving as interim since May 2022.

Killings graduated from the El Paso Fire Academy in 1998 and has served at all ranks within the Department, making him the ideal candidate to lead it, City Council reported.

In 2016, Killings was promoted to Battalion Chief and has proven himself in key assignments throughout his career serving as a member of the El Paso Fire Department’s ComSAR Mountain Rescue Team, Urban Search and Rescue Team, as well as HazMAT and Training Captain.

He has also worked in Emergency Operations, Professional Development, the Office of Emergency Management and 911 Communications.

“Chief Killings is an exceptional example of the in-house, dynamic talent we have in the City of El Paso. He demonstrates effective decision making and strong leadership that has earned him the respect of all El Paso Fire Department employees, both uniformed and civilian,” said Tommy Gonzalez, City Manager.

Gonzalez said the City has demonstrated that the strength of the organization is in the processes and organizational chart alignments that have been put in place through the development of a strong succession plan and a commitment to managing the City’s talent pipeline that grows leaders within the organization.

“Killings is a gifted manager within our successful talent pipeline who has embraced our organization’s leadership development opportunities that inspire collaboration and alignment and integration with our service delivery,” said Deputy City Manager Mario D’Agostino.

Chief Killings holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management from the University of Phoenix, a Master of Public Administration degree from Sam Houston State University, and has been a licensed EMT paramedic since 2009.