Former Fire Chief Kevin Miller to seek spot on Jonesboro City Council
by June 12, 2024 2:20 pm 36 views
Former Jonesboro Fire Chief Kevin Miller will seek a position on the Jonesboro City Council. Miller will vie for the seat being vacated by Mitch Johnson, who is not seeking re-election.
“For 35 years my job was to keep people in Jonesboro safe,” Miller said. “I loved my job, but most importantly, I love Jonesboro. As the chief and manager of the fire department for over a decade, I believe my experience will be a benefit to the community and the city council.”
During his tenure, Miller was responsible for the daily management and budgeting of the department. Under Miller’s tenure, Jonesboro moved from a Class 3 ISO fire response rating to a Class 1 ISO rating, the best rating possible.
“Running a fire department was more than a job to me,” Miller said. “It was a commitment to public safety. I’m proud of the job our city has done over the years to address pay and staffing issues with first responders and the increased focus on public safety. I want to continue that focus by serving on the city council.”
Miller is a third-generation, lifelong Jonesboro resident. His father was in fire safety, too.
“My father was a volunteer firefighter and as a young boy I spent much of my time around the fire station, and at age 18 joined the Philadelphia Volunteer Fire Department,” Miller said. “My wife and my two daughters are nurses. You could say serving is just a way of life for the Miller family, and we’re honored to do so.”
After graduating from Jonesboro High School, Miller studied engineering at Arkansas State University before joining the Jonesboro Fire Department in 1987. During his 35-year career as a firefighter, Miller earned distinguished honors multiple times for “Firefighter of the Year” and “Outstanding Instructor of the Year.” In 2019 he received the “Thomas E. Cole” memorial service award and the Fire Chief of the Year award in Arkansas. He was inducted into the Arkansas State Firefighters “Hall of Fame” in 2022.
No other candidates have announced their intention to seek the seat.