The FireSafetyProtectionPro

Battalion Chief Robert Avsec (Ret.) completed a successful 1^st career with the Chesterfield Fire & EMS Department, Chesterfield, Virginia on December 1, 2007 following a career of 25 ½ years.  He began his fire & EMS career journey in 1982 as a Firefighter/EMT?Cardiac assigned to Engine Company 11.   Chief Avsec received his first officer promotion to the rank of lieutenant in July 1985; promotion to captain followed in the 1989; and finally, promotion to the rank of battalion chief in January 2000. 

Chief Avsec was fortunate to serve the department and the citizens of Chesterfield County in a wide variety of job assignments during his career including:

      Engine Company Officer

      Station Commander

      EMS Director

      Co-Director of the Emergency Communications Center (9-1-1 dispatch center for the public safety agencies of Chesterfield County: fire, EMS, law enforcement, and Sheriff’s Office)

      Director of Training & Safety Division

      Battalion Commander, Emergency Operations Division

In addition to those regular assignments, Chief Avsec had the opportunity to be assigned to several special assignments during his career including:

      Strategic Planning Steer Committee (Participant and Charter Member)

      Career/Volunteer Member Integration Workgroup (Participant)

      Revenue Recovery Implementation Team (Member of six-person strategic project management team that developed and implemented a plan to begin fee-for-ambulance service in Chesterfield County)

      Resource Management for Emergency Response Assets (Project Manager)

      Emergency Operations Center Response Team (Member of Center Manager cadre)

Chief Avsec has a long and distinguished career as an instructor in the emergency services field.  He served as an adjunct Fire Instructor for the Virginia Department of Fire Programs and also served as an adjunct instructor for his department’s Training and Safety Division.  Since 1992,  he’s also been a contract instructor for the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland.  He currently teaches the NFA’s Incident Command for EMS and the Emergency Response to Terrorism: Tactical Considerations Series courses both on and off campus.  Since 1996 he has served as one of the lead instructors teaching the Incident Command System to the United States Secret Service, both at Chesterfield County and at the USSS Training Academy in Beltsville, Maryland.

Chief Avsec earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Fire and Safety Engineering Technology from the University of Cincinnati, graduating magna cum laude, through the NFA's Open Learning Fire Science Program in 2002.  Later, he earned his Master’s degree in Executive Fire Service Leadership through Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona, graduating summa cum laude in December 2004. He is also a 2001 graduate of the NFA's Executive Fire Officer Program. 

Chief Avsec resides in Ashland, Kentucky with his wife of almost twenty-five years, Wilma.  In his spare time he enjoys snow skiing and golf.  (If it's white, he skis it, if it's green he hits golf balls off it.)