Assistant Fire Chief Southwell Retires

LONGVIEW — Longview Assistant Fire Chief Kenny Southwell is retiring after twenty years of service with the Longview Fire Department and 25 total years as a firefighter. A retirement reception will be held from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m., Monday, December 20, at the Longview Fire Department Training Center, 411 American Legion Blvd.

During his time with the Longview Fire Department, Southwell served many roles including firefighter, paramedic, fire driver, paramedic instructor, interim chief, and more. Officials say most notably, Southwell served as Emergency Management Coordinator and played what’s termed an extremely vital role in the development and success of the City’s Emergency Operation Center, now known as the East Texas Regional Command. Officials say Southwell’s leadership provided advancement in emergency management and impacted the role Longview plays at both the regional and state level. Southwell’s last day on the job is Friday, December 17, with an official retirement date of Friday, January 7, 2011.