Only 1,350 chief fire officers exist worldwide, and now Washington Fire-Rescue-EMS Battalion Chief Doug Bissette ranks among them. Bissette was awarded the designation by the Center for Public Safety Excellence, a nonprofit with a mission to “lead the fire and emergency service to excellence through continuous quality improvement process of accreditation, credentialing and education,” according to the center’s website. Bissette grew up in Wilson County’s Rock Ridge community and is a graduate of Hunt High School and Wilson Community College. His first high school apprenticeship was with Wilson Fire/Rescue Services. “Achieving this designation signifies Battalion Chief Bissette’s commitment to his career in the fire and emergency services,” reads a letter from Debbie Sobotka, chief operating officer for the Center for Public Safety Excellence.