Fire chief to retire in May

Las Cruces Bulletin

There’s a family photo of Las Cruces Fire Chief Travis Brown, age three, sitting with his sister on an old fire truck in Las Cruces Fire Station 1. A couple of years later, when he was in kindergarten at East Picacho Elementary School, Brown told a teacher’s aide he wanted to become either a firefighter or a police officer when he grew up. And, when Brown did join the Las Cruces Fire Department (LCFD) in July 1989, he told a fellow cadet at the training academy that he “definitely would like to become a fire captain (the equivalent of today’s battalion chief), and if I make it there, then maybe chief

BROWN someday.”

That dream came true in May 2010 when Brown was named Las Cruces fire chief, after more than 20 years of service with the department as a cadet, trainee, firefighter, fire investigator, academy coordinator, fire lieutenant, youth violence coordinator, battalion chief, deputy chief and interim chief.

Brown will retire this month at age 49, after nearly 27 years with LCFD.