Michael Daughn recounts rise to Little Rock's youngest fire chief, highlights ISO Class 1 rating

Michael Daughn, chief of the Little Rock Fire Department, recounted his path from recruit to becoming the youngest fire chief in the city's history and emphasized department capabilities and safety standards. "My name is Michael Daughn. I'm the fire chief for the city of Little Rock Fire Department," he said.

Daughn told listeners he was inspired to apply after a recreational basketball teammate encouraged him and that he was hired in the class of April 2003. He described rising through departmental ranks from firefighter to driver, captain, battalion chief and assistant chief before becoming fire chief, calling the process "tough" and requiring "a lot of dedication" and study.

The chief said the most meaningful part of the job is ensuring that personnel return home safely. "...ensuring that all of your firefighters, all 450 of our personnel, make it home safe each day," he said, calling that responsibility central to his role.

Daughn also highlighted the department's credentials and operational readiness. "We are an ISO Class 1 rated fire department," he said, and added that the agency is "an accredited agency through the Center for Public Safety Excellence." He said having both designations helps ensure timely response across the city and allows residents to be confident in the level of fire and life-safety protection the department provides.

To learn more about Daughn's story and other city profiles, the program directed listeners to littlerock.gov.

The segment focused on personal background, departmental standards and public assurance of the department's readiness; no formal actions, votes or policy proposals were recorded in the exchange.