Manassas Park Hires New Fire Chief

A Norfolk battalion chief will serve as the new chief of the 27-member City of Manassas Park Fire Department, city manager Jim Zumwalt said this month.

 David O. Dixon, who currently works at the Norfolk City Fire Department, was selected from a pool of about 50 applicants, Zumwalt said.

He scheduled to start work on April 1.

“Chief Dixon brings to our city an impressive record of professional accomplishment over his more than 30 years of fire-rescue and supervisory experience,” Zumwalt said. “His whole family joined his home community rescue squad when he was a teenager, and his career demonstrates his passion for public service. Manassas Park is fortunate to have him as a member of our team.”

The gauntet of leadership has passed through the ranks since the April 2011 departure of former fire Chief John O’Neal, who accepted a fire chief position in the Dallas area.

Former Assistant Fire Chief Todd Lupton held the interim fire chief position until he accepted a position with the city of Manassas and resigned in November.

 Fire Marshal Mark Joyner is now the acting interim fire chief. He is assisted by Capt. James Soaper.

Zumwalt said Joyner will continue to lead the department until April when Dixon officially becomes fire chief.

Dixon began his fire service career in 1979 as a firefighter-paramedic with the Williamsburg Fire Department.

 He worked as a federal firefighter for the U.S. Army and several years as a firefighter-medic for the Newport News Fire Department, according to a release from the City of Manassas Park.

The City of Norfolk hired Dixon in 1988 as a firefighter for the Norfolk Fire Department.  Since then, Dixon has risen through the ranks to his current position as a battalion shift commander for the 2nd Battalion Fire-Rescue Operations, where he supervises more than 50 department personnel.

For several years as Norfolk Fire-Rescue’s chief of training and professional development, Dixon was responsible for the education, training and professional development of more than 500 career personnel at 14 fire stations throughout the city.

 Dixon holds numerous training and educational credentials from the Virginia departments of Fire Programs and Emergency Management and the Office of Emergency Medical Services.

He has a master's degree in human resources management, a Bachelor of Science Degree in governmental administration and an associate's degree in fire science technology. Dixon is also a graduate of the National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer program and the Virginia Department of Fire Programs Fire Officer IV program.