Louis Winston Named Chief Of HoCo Fire And Rescue Services Dept.

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Louis Winston has been tapped to become the next chief of the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services. Winston has served three decades in the department, rising to the rank of deputy chief prior to his retirement in January 2020. His appointment becomes effective Sept. 7, 2021.

“Lou Winston is a long-time respected and admired member of the fire service,” Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said. “He is an innovative and progressive leader who has the experience to carry on the traditions of our department while shaping and preparing it for the future. I have complete confidence in his ability to lead a department that is a model and national standard for excellence.”

Winston joined the department on Feb. 12, 1990, and served under seven fire chiefs and six county executives. Prior to his appointment as a deputy chief in 2019, Winston held a chief officer position for more than six years. During that time, he served as a field battalion chief and as an assistant chief where he managed the administrative services bureau overseeing recruitment, human resources and the department’s budget. He advocated for and adopted resource management principles as well as high-performance CPR initiatives.

For more than 10 years,Winston served as the president of the Phoenix Sentinels, an organization committed to improving career opportunities for minorities in the fire service. A graduate of Loyola Blakefield, Winston holds a bachelor of science degree in homeland security from the University of Maryland Global Campus. He is also a graduate of Leadership Howard County’s Premier Class of 2015 and the Carl Holmes Executive Development Institute 2015.

A member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Winston is a past recipient of the Howard County Government’s Mentorship Award, Baltimore County Recreation and Parks’ Shining Star Award and Turner Station Community Service Award.

Winston said he looks forward to leading the department with "open, honest and transparent collaborative leadership that embraces the diversity and inclusion of Howard County to help maintain safe and engaged communities.”

“It has been my absolute honor to serve 30 years with the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services and I thank County Executive Ball for the opportunity to lead this great department,” Winston said. “As a servant leader, I recognize the importance of the growth and well-being of people and communities."