Battalion Chief/Paramedic Hedley E. Austin was selected to become a Virginia Beach Firefighter as of April 1, 1977. He is presently assigned to the Resource Management Division (Logistics) where he is responsible for the management and coordination of equipping fire department personnel with needed clothing, personal protective equipment (PPE), breathing apparatus, tools, hose, medical, extrication, hazmat, marine and technical rescue supplies.
This is accomplished by the annual planning for the future needs of the department, by the use of federal, state and local grants and other budgeted funding throughout the year and by working with teams of fire personnel to prioritize and purchase tools and equipment specific to their specialties.
Battalion Chief Austin received his A.A.S. in Fire Science Technology in 1985 from Tidewater Community College (VA), his B.S. in Fire Administration in 1989 from Hampton University (VA), and his National Registry Paramedic (NREMT-P) in 1998 from Tidewater Community College (VA).