Chief Raymond Knight began his career in Garland as a firefighter in 1980. During the next 20 years, he was promoted to Operations Fire Lieutenant, Operations Fire Captain and then to Administration Battalion Chief. By 2002, Chief Knight had worked his way up to become Administration Assistant Fire Chief, overseeing the functions of administration, training and education and managing the department’s operating and capital improvement budgets. In this role, he was directly responsible for oversight of the design, construction and development of the Fire Department’s administration and training facility, as well as five new fire stations. He became Garland’s fire chief in 2012.
Chief Knight will retire as of July 22. A retirement reception is scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday, July 20, at The Atrium, 300 North Fifth Street in downtown Garland. The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m.
The celebration will include an introduction and Passing of Command Ceremony for Fire Chief Mark E. Lee, who most currently served as chief of the Murphy, Texas, Fire Department.