Deputy Chief Bud Benefield – Carroll County Fire Rescue

Deputy Chief Bud Benefield has served Carroll County with distinction since 1978, initially as a volunteer firefighter with the Bowdon Fire Department. He was one of the founding members of Carroll County Fire Rescue in 1979. He became a career firefighter, serving in various station roles, responding to calls from 1979 to 2000. When the opportunity to serve the county in the position of training officer became available in 2000, Deputy Chief Benefield stepped into that role. As the training chief, Deputy Chief Benefield helped bring the National Professional Qualifications (NPQ) system to the State of Georgia. He developed a cadre of firefighters and volunteers alike.
Within the training program, new firefighters were also EMS trained in house to the First Responder level. Deputy Chief Benefield serves as an American Heart Association affiliate faculty and coordinates the training program for the county Dive Rescue/Recovery team, while being a member of the team as a P.A.D.I. certified Rescue Diver, operating as the team leader for the Carroll County Underwater Search and Recovery Team. Deputy Chief Benefield is a Georgia Department of Natural Resources Hunter Education and Boater Education Instructor.
Chief Benefield is also a field instructor for the Georgia Emergency Management Agency and adjunct instructor for Georgia Fire Academy. He holds state & national certifications as a firefighter, fire instructor, fire safety educator, Chief Fire Officer, Georgia Certified Intermediate Emergency Medical Technician, Georgia Emergency Medical Services Instructor, Georgia Certified Emergency Manager, Georgia Peace Officer, and Georgia Deputy Sheriff.
Through all of these efforts, Chief Benefield’s tireless work has prepared personnel to serve the local community in its times of need. As personnel who have gone through the programs he has led and have moved away from Carroll County, they have taken the training and experience and continue to serve the residents of this state and other states.