Associate
Deputy Fire Chief, Portsmouth, Virginia
Chief Arnold has more than 20 years of fire and emergency medical services (EMS) experience, having served as a field provider, middle manager, and chief officer with responsibility for planning, organizing, leading, and administering Fire and EMS department operations. Since 2007, he has served with the City of Portsmouth Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Services, a world-class organization providing comprehensive services including fire suppression; advanced life support EMS; hazardous materials response; fire prevention; technical rescue; maritime response; emergency communications (9-1-1); emergency management oversight; and fire and EMS training programs. The department serves a population of approximately 95,000 residents across 34 square miles and responds to more than 23,000 calls for service annually.
Prior to his appointment as Deputy Fire Chief in 2020, Chief Arnold progressed through every rank within the department, from Firefighter to Battalion Chief. His diverse assignments include service as an EMS Paramedic, Fire Marshal, company officer on multiple engine and ladder companies, Training Officer, and Emergency Management Coordinator. In his current role as Deputy Fire Chief of Operations, Chief Arnold leads an operational workforce of more than 300 personnel and oversees the delivery of Fire and EMS response, the Fire Marshal’s Office, Emergency Management, and the E-911 Communications Division.
In addition to his service in Portsmouth, Chief Arnold has gained experience in neighboring jurisdictions, working as a paramedic in both Suffolk and Virginia Beach, Virginia. These roles provided valuable exposure to rural, suburban, and urban EMS response environments. He also served as a member of Virginia Task Force 2 (VA-TF2), based in Virginia Beach, and deployed multiple times to disaster areas across the United States in response to hurricane events.
Chief Arnold holds a Master of Public Administration from Bellevue University, is a 2017 graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program, and is a nationally registered Emergency Medical Technician–Paramedic.