- December 4, 2025
Battalion Chiefs Jeremiah Ingraham and Joe Dupree. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Retired Capt. Lynn Taylor is celebrated during a ceremony at the Ormond Beach Performing Arts Center on Aug. 1. Courtesy photo
Retired Battalion Chief Keith Crockett (center) is recognized by Capt. David Randall (left) and Deputy Fire Chief Nate Quartier (right) during a ceremony at the Ormond Beach Performing Arts Center on Aug. 1. Courtesy photo
Ormond Beach Fire Chief Howard Bailey and Battalion Chief Joe Dupree. Courtesy photo
The retired firefighters: Driver Engineer Eric Sommerlad, Capt. Tommy Bozeman, Capt. Lynn Taylor and Battalion Chief Keith Crockett. Courtesy photo
The new probationary firefighters: Ben Lloyd, Clay Carn, Drake Goodman, Jack Reynolds, Kayla Traylor and Nick Duh. Courtesy photo
Ormond Beach Fire Chief Howard Bailey and Battalion Chief Jeremiah Ingraham. Courtesy photo
Last month, the Ormond Beach Fire Department said goodbye to four longtime firefighters. The department is also ushering in the next generation, with two new battalion chiefs onboard.
Joe Dupree and Jeremiah Ingraham were among the firefighters promoted to the rank of battalion chief in August. Dupree is the battalion chief of operations for B shift. Ingraham's position is brand new; rather than follow the standard firefighter work schedule, he will work Monday through Friday to be a "go-between" in fire service administrative matters.
Ingraham has been with the department for 18 years and Dupree for 21.
More citizens means more calls. More assisted living facilities mean more calls. So we're going to have to expand in order to keep up with the sheer volume of calls that keep coming in every day." — JOE DUPREE, Battalion chief
Dupree said that the four retirements — Driver Engineer Eric Sommerlad, Capt. Tommy Bozeman, Capt. Lynn Taylor and Battalion Chief Keith Crockett — allowed for internal promotions that hadn't been possible in OBFD in years prior. Altogether, the four retirees had a combined total of just under 100 years in fire service.
"There was a long time where there wasn't many [promotions], because it's such a great place to work — nobody was leaving," Dupree said.
As the department looks toward the future, Dupree said OBFD is looking to focus on more training and expanding the department.
"Our area and population is growing so much," Dupree said. "We're still operating with the same number of stations that we did 21 years ago."
They make do, Ingraham added. But they are looking to make sure the new recruits are trained well and capable.
With a new fire station and emergency operations center in the horizon for the west side of the city, Dupree said the city isn't getting any smaller.
"More citizens means more calls," he said. "More assisted living facilities mean more calls. So we're going to have to expand in order to keep up with the sheer volume of calls that keep coming in every day."
OBFD is composed of 42 firefighters, four battalion chiefs, a deputy chief, a fire chief, a fire marshal, and a fire inspector — making up a 50-person department.
The department responded to over 8,500 incidents in 2024, saving $29.1 million dollars in property value through fire suppression and emergency response efforts, according to city data.
At last month's ceremony at the Ormond Beach Performing Arts Center, the fire department also welcomed six new recruits: Ben Lloyd, Clay Carn, Drake Goodman, Jack Reynolds, Kayla Traylor and Nick Duh.
"As we usher in this new generation of firefighters, we want to be able to take what they (the retirees) left here and instill it into those new firefighters and really hone in on that training," said Pauline Dulang, city public information officer. "And give our city the best quality of service, which not only includes fighting fires, going into buildings, but also the highest quality of medical care in emergency situations."
The new recruits, Dupree said, bring in a vast experience in different fields, from the military to construction work background. Ingraham said that's a big help in the career.
"A lot of the stuff we do requires manual labor, requires understanding how and why things go together," Ingraham said. "Not that sitting in a classroom and learning stuff isn't helpful, but ... being able to work with your hands is a big part of this job."
