Stephen Lovette is Randleman's new Fire Chief

RANDLEMAN – Following the retirement of long-serving Fire Chief Marty Leonard on June 30, the City of Randleman has selected a veteran with more than three decades in fire service as its next permanent leader.

Stephen Lovette will be the next chief of the Randleman Fire Department effective Aug. 22.

A native of Salisbury, Lovette has worked in the fire service for more than 30 years, since starting at the Salisbury Fire Department in 1986. He joined the High Point Fire Department in 1997 and while there he had extensive experience as a fire commander in both the operations and training divisions of the High Point agency.

He was appointed Chief with the Clinton Fire Department in April of 2018 and several of his accomplishments included an increase in staffing, purchase of a new apparatus, design and development of the Inspection program, and, most recently, improving the North Carolina Insurance Response Rating Score.

“Lovette is a driven professional with a dedication to training and professional development,” City Manager William Johnson said. “He will bring a wealth of knowledge and a vision for the future to our Fire Department.”

Lovette holds an Associate of Applied Science degree in Fire Science and brings significant professional certifications to the table, Johnson said. Lovette is certified as an instructor by various organizations and serves as an adjunct instructor for the National Fire Academy, teaching courses on subjects such as incident management, decision making and leadership.

In April of this year, Lovette was 1 of 12 nationwide appointed to the National Fallen Firefighters Fellows program.  He also serves as an Advocate for the Everyone Goes Home Program in North Carolina.

Johnson said Lovette was vetted extensively, standing out in a field of highly qualified applicants for the chief’s position. 

Johnson said “the city is confident that Lovette’s knowledge and experience will be a true asset to our community.”