Hendersonville ceremony honors fire chief’s 35-year career, swears in successor

HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — The city of Hendersonville is welcoming its new fire chief while recognizing and celebrating the life and 35-year career of his predecessor.

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On Thursday evening, the city held a ceremony to mark the fire department’s leadership transition.

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Fire Chief James Miller officially retired after a 35-year firefighting career, including 10 years with Hendersonville’s department.

Miller was hired as deputy chief in 2016 before being sworn in as chief in March 2020.

His career included deployments to Hurricanes Andrew, Charlie, Hugo, and Katrina. But he said it’s what he witnessed during Helene that he’ll never forget.

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“Neighbors helping neighbors. People showing up from across the country,” Miller said. “We literally just brought them out and just handed them to neighbors, and they were bringing food out and warm clothes and saying, ‘We’ve got them.’”

Retired Chief Miller now hands the role of fire chief off to Deputy Chief Justin Ward, who was sworn in with his family at Thursday’s ceremony.

Of his successor, Miller told the crowd, “He’s going to lead a fantastic department. He’s a fantastic young man. I’m excited to watch him grow and flourish and take the fire department even farther than it’s been.”