The Town of Newport’s new fire chief has officially begun his duties in the position.
The town says Richard Blaine was selected for the role and started Monday. He has nearly 30 years of experience in the firefighting field and was chosen from a pool of more than 12 candidates.
“Chief Blaine is an extremely talented and proven leader with an unswerving dedication to the community. He will be an invaluable addition to our leadership team, and we’re pleased to welcome him aboard,” Town Manager Bryan Chadwick said.
WITN is told that Blaine is a U.S. Navy veteran and a retired federal firefighter, retiring from the Cherry Point Fire Department as captain of operations in 2021. He has also served as a fire inspector for the Town of Morehead City and before this, was assistant chief and fire marshal for Newport and selected as Officer of the Year last year.