There will be a changing of the guard at the State Fire Marshal’s office.
To be more accurate, a changing of the chiefs this morning as Louisiana’s Fire Marshal, Butch Browning, hands over command to his Chief Deputy Fire Marshal, Daniel Wallis.
The move is part of State Fire Chief H. “Butch” accepted the position of executive director of the National Association of State Fire Marshals, which went into effect on Sunday.
Browning has served for 14 years, giving him the distinction of being the longest-serving state fire marshal in Louisiana history. Browning was first appointed in 2008 and has served through two, two-term governors.
He hands the baton to State Fire Marshal Deputy Assistant Secretary Daniel H. Wallis has been named as Browning's successor. Wallis has been a member of the fire service for nearly 30 years. He worked with the Zachary Fire Department where he was recognized as Firefighter of the Year in his first year as a career fireman in 1980 and was named that department's fire chief in 2000.
Wallis is a lifetime member of the Louisiana State Firemen's Association, the Louisiana Fire Chiefs' Association and also a member of the Louisiana Arson and Fire Prevention Association, and the International Fire Chiefs' Association.
