WHO WE ARE

A Message from our Chief David Paxton

I want to thank all the Pecan Plantation volunteer Firefighters and support members for their immediate response to help the people of Lipan and Tolar who had been under a mandatory evacuation due to a large, fast-moving grass fire. I would also like to thank our Auxiliary who stepped up to help by making food for our Firefighters both at the scene and the Firefighters who stood by Station 80 in Pecan while most of the county’s trucks and Firefighters were at the grass fire.

I was so humbled by all the people who took the time to come to our Station to offer help in whatever way they could from retired Firefighters to delivering water, etc.

Pecan Plantation Fire Chief

David Paxton

Dave was born in the U.K. and started his career in an apprenticeship as a carpenter in England. During that time he worked all over England, Europe, and Africa running a construction site of up to 300 men and ultimately working as a Building Surveyor.

During his time in the UK  Dave joined a volunteer ambulance service called the St Johns Ambulance Service back in 1975. He moved up the ranks from an instructor,  Divisional Officer to Divisional Superintendent (EMS Chief) which he did for several years.

In 1984 Dave acquired his UK and Zimbabwe pilot license.  Setting his sights on a career change, he moved to the US in 1989 to spend 3 years in pilot training.

While there he joined the Red Cross in Jackson TN as a disaster volunteer and first aid and CPR instructor. This is where he met his sweet southern girl who was working as a Marketing Director for the Red Cross at the time. Dave and Vicki were married in 1992, they have two boys 24 and 14.

Dave joined the volunteer Fire and Rescue Department in 1999 in Spring Hill TN while working full-time for American Airlines.  Furloughed from the airline after 9/11, Dave went full-time as a Firefighter and became the city’s first fully paid Lieutenant.

During his Firefighter career, Dave acquired numerous qualifications including attending the Fire Academy, Firefighter I and Firefighter II, Hazmat Operations, and various incident command qualifications

Dave went back to flying AirMedical and ultimately, back to America in 2013, but continued as a volunteer Firefighter, simultaneously joining the Williamson County Rescue Squad.

Dave joined Pecan Plantation Volunteer Fire Department back in 2018. He progressed to an engineer’s position mainly driving and pumping Tanker 84. He was promoted to  Lieutenant at PPVFD in 2021 and made Chief in 2022 Dave is also an EMT-B.