Jason H. Monk was selected to serve as the Division’s permanent Fire Chief effective June 22, 2019. Prior to his appointment, he served as Interim Fire Chief since September 2017 following the retirement of former Fire Chief David E. Layman. Before accepting the interim role, he served as the Division’s Deputy Fire Chief.
Chief Monk joined the fire and A service as a student volunteer with the Virginia Tech Rescue Squad while attending college. Chief Monk became a member of the Hampton Division of Fire and Rescue in 1997 as a Medic/Firefighter. Since becoming a career member with Hampton, he has served in field operations and administrative capacities, in both suppression and EMS. Chief Monk has served as Medic/Fighter, station officer, EMS Field Supervisor, Suppression Battalion Chief, and Chief Medical Officer.
Chief Monk was one of the first tactical medics with the Hampton Police Division’s Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) and assisted in the development of tactical medicine programs in other jurisdictions. He has served as an Adjunct Professor with Tidewater Community College’s Emergency Medical Services Program and continues to be a resource for the region’s emerging leaders through the Hampton Roads Fire Officer Academy. As a member of the International Association of Firefighter’s Logistics and Command Team, he assisted the Fire Department of New York following the attacks on New York City’s World Trade Center.
Chief Monk has been instrumental in developing various health, safety, development, and leadership initiatives such as the Division’s EMS Continuous Quality Improvement Program. Recently, he has placed particular focus on the physical and mental health and wellness of the members, to include cancer prevention and mental health awareness. He actively promotes the importance of ownership and leadership in all positions within the organization.
In 2016, Chief Monk helped lead a dedicated team of Hampton Division of Fire and Rescue members as they successfully achieved accredited agency status with the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) and an Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating of "1." Hampton is the only combination fire and rescue agency in Virginia to hold this dual status, and one of only five internationally.
