Warren County honors Chief Keith Lockhart and swears in first full-time firefighters; new staff introduced

Warren County Fiscal Court on Jan. 8 read an official proclamation honoring Chief Keith Lockhart of the Browning Fire Department for more than a decade of leadership and recognized the county's recent swearing-in of nine full-time firefighters — the first full-time hires in Warren County history.

"We, the fiscal court of Warren County, do hereby officially proclaim our sincere appreciation and recognition of Chief Keith Lockhart for his exemplary leadership," the judge read while presenting the proclamation. The proclamation cited Lockhart's 10 years as fire chief and four years as assistant chief, and praised his role in elevating training and readiness across the county's volunteer fire system.

The judge noted the county earlier swore in the first nine full-time firefighters and credited Chief Lockhart with involvement since the program's inception. Multiple magistrates and officials thanked volunteer fire departments for long-standing service and praised the hiring decision as historic for Warren County.

Esquire Aldridge called the day "a historic day" and thanked chiefs and volunteers for their dedication, saying the departments are "definitely the backbone of our community." The court paused for a photo opportunity with Chief Lockhart following the proclamation.

The meeting also included personnel introductions: Seth Carter was introduced as the county's new county engineer, described as a Warren County native, and Kevin Bailey was introduced as the new deputy director in emergency management with prior experience as chief of a volunteer fire department.

The court closed by scheduling the next meeting for Jan. 22 at 9 a.m. and adjourning.