The City of Lenoir has hired Ken Hair to serve as the next Chief of the Lenoir Fire Department. Hair has served with the Lenoir Fire Department for 27 years, and has served as Deputy Chief since 2008. Hair officially will become Chief March 1, 2018.
Twenty seven years of service is a lot, but Hair has been working as a firefighter even longer. Hair grew up in Gamewell and attended West Caldwell High School. That’s where he joined the Student Fireman Program at the young age of 16 and served in the Gamewell Volunteer Fire Department (GVFD).
Hair said it was the excitement of the job that first drew him in.
“I was in high school, and there were other student firemen. They would get called out to fires, and it was very exciting,” Hair said. “Then I got involved in the Student Fireman Program and it became more interesting. I loved volunteering, so I decided to give firefighting a shot as a career, and here were are.”