Retired Deputy Fire Chief James H. Brown (91) died on Friday, January 17, 2020. He was father of Michael L. Brown, (retired) Fire Chief at North Naples, and son of James J. Brown, a Detroit Firefighter. He and his late wife, Marilyn, were married for 68 years. Chief Brown leaves behind three (3) children, four (4) grandchildren and six (6) great-grandchildren.
He was very proud to have served in U.S. Coast Guard during the WWII era. After being discharged he moved from Detroit
to Fort Lauderdale. In January, 1956, he followed in his fathers foot steps and began his
career with the Fort Lauderdale Fire Department. He advanced through the ranks and retired as Fort Lauderdale's Deputy Fire Chief in 1980. During his time with the Department, Brown assisted with re-establishing Local 765. He responded to the Everglades Fertilizer Fire in 1969, and years later was diagnosed with cancer, like almost every other firefighter who responded to that call. Brown also served as an instructor at the Broward Fire Academy, as well as in Coral Springs.
After retiring from Fort Lauderdale he took a job as Chief of Training for Broward County Fire/Rescue from 1981 to 1991. The Captain who reported directly to Chief Brown was Walt Dix, the current IAFF 12th District Vice President. Chief Brown was a proud member of Local 4321, and maintained his IAFF Retired Membership status until he passed away. Chief Brown was nationally recognized as an expert in Emergency Management and the Incident Command System, and taught and spoke at Conferences throughout the United States. He attributed Unions, Emergency Medical Services, and the Incident Command System as the most important changes during his tenure in the Fire Service.
Services will be held at St. David’s Catholic Church in Davie, Florida
on Saturday, February 22, 2020 at 10AM
.
He will be buried at Lauderdale M
emorial Park immediately following the Mass. A celebration of Chief Brown's life will take place at the Fort Lauderdale Fire and Safety Museum located at 1022 West Las Olas Blvd. at 1 PM. For additional details, please contact Mike Brown at (239-273-7930) or
[email protected]
.
