HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Douglas Clevert Jr. has been named the Henrico County Division of Fire's 12th fire chief, succeeding Jackson Baynard, who moved into a new role as the county's deputy manager for public safety.
Clevert was publicly sworn into the role Tuesday night before family, friends, members of the Henrico fire service and the county board.
"It's exciting, it's a dream come true," Clevert said.
The promotion comes after 21 years with the division. Clevert, who grew up in Henrico County, said serving the community he was raised in makes the role especially meaningful.
"It's in my blood to naturally serve and give back to my community. Also, growing up in Henrico makes it feel even better, because I'm serving the community that I grew up in," Clevert said.
County Manager John Vithoulkas celebrated the moment during the ceremony.
"This is a very proud moment, not just for you, but for our county," Vithoulkas said.
Baynard served as fire chief since 2023 before accepting the deputy manager position. Clevert said Baynard worked to prepare him for the transition.
"There are some projects that we do need to finish and grow on. We're still in the process of ordering new apparatus, and he left that easy. We have some policies that we need to update for renewal, we have accreditation in a few years, we have ISO coming up in a few years, so he's left it in a great place to take over," Clevert said.
Before fully settling into the role, Clevert said the division must first find his replacement and build out his leadership team. He oversees the division's personnel, a $102 million operating budget, and 23 stations, including the newest firehouse in Varina.
"First, I would like to assemble my team, and just kind of get some feedback, because it's not just what Doug Clevert wants, it's what the community wants, it's what the team wants, it's what the firefighters need, where the organization can grow, what we need to keep doing," Clevert said.
Clevert also said renewed focus is being placed on water safety within the county, with plans underway for a public awareness event in July.
"The county is doing Splash Smart RVA with Henrico Fire and Police. We are encouraging that the community comes out and gets educated on swimming, so that is a new initiative that public safety and the county are working to get the message out," Clevert said.
Clevert said he intends to honor the trust placed in him by the public and the organization.
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