- January 4, 2026
Ormond Beach Fire Department Capt. Carrie Davis knew right away that fire service was her calling.
She had been working for Duval County Public Schools as a dive instructor. Growing up, her dad was in the U.S. Navy, and Davis started diving at 14 years old. She progressed her way up, and by the time she was an instructor, she was encouraged to become an emergency medical technician by the school district. During her training, she rode along with the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department.
And Davis just knew.
"I felt so at home," she said. "I just thought I could really make a difference in everyday lives with people. It just clicked when I was there."
Davis is now in her 27th year of fire service, having started working for the City of Ormond Beach in 1999. During her career, she also spent 18 years as a part-time field paramedic with Volusia County Emergency Services and has been an instructor at Daytona State College since 2014.
She worked as a firefighter for about 15 years and said she loved the work. Then, she transitioned into the driver's seat, and she realized that she didn't want to stand outside the structure fire — she wanted to actively work it.
And it was her own captain at the time, Thomas Lachausse, that encouraged her to become a captain herself.
"He said, 'Hey, you can do this,'" Davis recalled. "That really stuck with me too. ... It was probably the first time I had heard that."
It also made her realize that was the kind of captain she wanted to be — one who supported the crews and put them first.
"It's like a servant leader who's always looking out for their crews," Davis said.
It's the kind of captain she was for OBFD Capt. Nicholas Nates, who nominated Davis for a Standing O. Nates said Davis has built an exceptionally decorated career through her decades with OBFD.
"Personally, Carrie has shaped my career and taught me the importance of leading by example — with compassion, integrity, and genuine care for others," Nates said. "I can think of no one more deserving of this recognition than Capt. Carrie Davis."
He added that Davis has been part of the local task force team, mentored the next generation — many of whom now work with her — as an instructor at DSC and founded the Ormond Beach Firefighter Charities in 2013 to help the community.
Davis also earned her executive fire officer degree from the National Fire Academy, a four-year program, in 2020. She's currently working on her doctorate in fire and emergency management.
"Her commitment to service, both on and off duty, has had a lasting impact," Nates said.
Davis said she's proud to be a lifelong learner. She's always made sure that education is a top priority, and it comes down to her wish to see fire service continue to progress.
Personally, Carrie has shaped my career and taught me the importance of leading by example — with compassion, integrity, and genuine care for others." — NICHOLAS NATES, Standing O 2025
That's part of why she, along with Volusia County Fire Chief Joe King, who was her lieutenant captain at the time, formed the Ormond Beach Firefighter Charities.
The nonprofit helps to fill the gaps in service: from helping fire victims and families dealing with medical emergencies to supporting food drives, police initiatives and local fundraisers.
As she thinks back on her years of fire service, Davis said she'd like to be remembered for helping mentor others and helping them push forward in their careers.
OBFD is a family, she said, estimating that she's been the instructor for at least 10 of its current firefighters. That camaraderie, and the trust the community gives its firefighters, is something she said she'll never take for granted.
"My grandma always says, 'Just do the best that you can for the most amount of people that you can,'" Davis said.
