A moment rooted in a longer history<\/p>\n
The recognition comes during a Black History Month in El Paso focused on documenting local legacy \u2014 not just national milestones. Historians have traced the city\u2019s Black presence back more than a century, shaped by Buffalo Soldiers stationed at Fort Bliss, Black railroad workers, and families who built institutions during segregation, including Douglass School and the McCall neighborhood. For much of the 20th century, El Paso\u2019s Black community carved out space and stability despite exclusion from housing, schools and civic power, laying groundwork that later generations would build upon.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Renard-e1740505850298-765x1024.jpg\")
Renard Johnson<\/p>\n
Against that backdrop, Killings\u2019 rise carries particular weight. He is the first Black fire chief in the department\u2019s 140-year history \u2014 a role that places him among a growing number of Black leaders \u2014 including Mayor Renard Johnson and City Manager Dionne Mack \u2014 now serving at the highest levels of city government.<\/p>\n
\u201cChief Jonathan Killings embodies what it means to serve with purpose and heart,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cHis leadership, mentorship and commitment to our community have made El Paso safer and stronger. It\u2019s an honor to celebrate his lifetime of service during Black History Month and to see him recognized by the El Paso Black Hall of Fame.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Dionne-Mack-e1740505385454.png\")
Dionne Mack<\/p>\n
Mack said Killings\u2019 career reflects a standard of leadership that extends beyond his department.<\/p>\n
\u201cChief Jonathan Killings has built a career defined by integrity, mentorship, and an unwavering commitment to public service,\u201d Mack said. \u201cHis leadership has strengthened the El Paso Fire Department and helped set a standard of excellence that will continue to benefit our community for generations. This recognition is a fitting tribute to a lifetime devoted to service.\u201d<\/p>\n
From loss to purpose<\/p>\n
Killings said his family moved to El Paso when he was 2 years old. His father, who served in the Army, decided to stay.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe just loved the community. He loved the weather. He loved everything about the area,\u201d Killings said.<\/p>\n
After graduating from Hanks High School in 1993, his life shifted abruptly. His parents had separated, and his father died when Killings had just turned 20, leaving him trying to steady life for himself and his younger brother.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, you know, that kind of left me without a lot of structure and a lot of direction,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The decision to pursue the Fire Department wasn\u2019t driven by legacy or long-term ambition. It was, he said, a search for stability and a way to contribute.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just, at one point, I was like, \u2018You know what, I need to find some structure, and I need to find a good job,\u2019\u201d Killings said. \u201cI knew I wanted to do something and, you know, be able to serve the community.\u201d<\/p>\n
The idea took hold in a simple way.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really think it was just one of those moments where you see a fire truck going by and going, \u2018Yeah, I could probably do that,\u2019\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/CB_FireChiefKillings-3.jpg\")
Fire Chief Jonathan Killings works in his office on Feb. 2, 2026. Killings joined the El Paso Fire Department in 1998 and was appointed chief in 2022. (Corrie Boudreaux\/El Paso Matters)<\/p>\n
Learning the job \u2014 and the responsibility<\/p>\n
The El Paso Fire Department Training Academy, Killings said, was culture shock. He wasn\u2019t a legacy firefighter and had no roadmap for what the work would demand.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t know anything about firefighting,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
What he found instead was structure \u2014 and mentors who filled a void left by his father\u2019s death.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese guys really show you what you need to do to be an adult, to be a man, to be a good father,\u201d Killings said.<\/p>\n
Over time, he joined specialized teams including urban search and rescue, mountain rescue and hazmat, and steadily promoted through every rank in the department. He returned to the academy as an officer, helping train new recruits, and later moved into administrative leadership roles in emergency management and communications.<\/p>\n
He became a battalion chief in 2016 and was named interim chief in May 2022. Killings earned a master\u2019s degree in public administration from Sam Houston State University and a bachelor\u2019s degree in management from the University of Phoenix.<\/p>\n
From the beginning, he said, the goal wasn\u2019t advancement for its own sake.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was always about leaving it better than you found it.\u201d<\/p>\n
When leadership called \u2014 again<\/p>\n
Killings\u2019 path into the department\u2019s top role sharpened during the COVID-19 pandemic. He had just been promoted to deputy chief and was serving as training chief when then-Fire Chief Mario D\u2019Agostino reassigned him into a broader leadership role.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe calls me and he says, \u2018Hey, we\u2019re gonna bring you up into an assistant chief role. And I need you to help us manage this pandemic that\u2019s hitting the city,\u2019\u201d Killings said.<\/p>\n
Killings oversaw major operational components of the city\u2019s response, including testing and vaccination sites.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere wasn\u2019t really an option,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Even then, he said, becoming fire chief wasn\u2019t a personal goal.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was happy in that assistant chief\u2019s role.\u201d<\/p>\n
D\u2019Agostino later told him he was retiring and moving into a role at City Hall. He urged Killings to step forward. Killings pushed back.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s gotta be somebody else,\u201d he recalled.<\/p>\n
But, as he had before, Killings accepted the responsibility.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/CB_FireChiefKillings-1.jpg\")
Fire Chief Jonathan Killings works in his office on Feb. 2, 2026. Killings joined the El Paso Fire Department in 1998 and was appointed chief in 2022. (Corrie Boudreaux\/El Paso Matters)<\/p>\n
Building a department \u2014 and a future<\/p>\n
As fire chief, Killings points to initiatives designed to raise the department\u2019s level of service as El Paso\u2019s needs evolve, including the Fire STAR helicopter program and a mobile integrated health team aimed at reducing repeat non-emergency 911 calls by connecting residents to long-term resources.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the unique things about El Paso is there\u2019s a rather large population of underinsured or non-insured people within the community,\u201d Killings said.<\/p>\n
He has also focused on updating facilities, equipment and policies to better reflect the workforce and the community it serves, including efforts to make the department more accessible and supportive for women firefighters.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve made a lot of updates to our station and our equipment, so that the equipment better fits everybody,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Retirement security remains an ongoing concern, particularly access to health care and insurance for former firefighters.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne thing that we kind of have a hard time doing is making all these services available to our retirees,\u201d Killings said.<\/p>\n
Tyler Grossman, executive director of the El Paso Firemen and Policemen\u2019s Pension Fund, said Killings has played a key role in strengthening that system.<\/p>\n
\u201cChief Killings has consistently supported the fire trustees as they execute their responsibilities in maintaining a strong pension fund,\u201d Grossman said. \u201cBy doing so, the fund has become one of the best in Texas, a factor which works to attract and retain firefighters. His cooperation in this effort has been professional, steady and respectful of the fund\u2019s independent role.\u201d<\/p>\n
What the honor represents<\/p>\n
Monica Tucker, founder and CEO of Black El Paso Voice and founder of the El Paso Black Hall of Fame, said Killings\u2019 selection reflects both individual achievement and broader significance.<\/p>\n
\u201cChief Jonathan Killings was selected for the El Paso Black Hall of Fame\u2019s Lifetime Achievement Award because his career reflects what lifetime achievement truly is: sustained service, trusted leadership and impact that outlives a title,\u201d Tucker said. \u201cIn roles where decisions carry real weight for families and neighborhoods, he has led with steadiness, professionalism, and a clear commitment to people.\u201d<\/p>\n
She added that his leadership resonates beyond the Fire Department.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor many in El Paso\u2019s Black community, especially our youth, his journey is proof that you can serve at the highest levels while staying grounded in purpose,\u201d Tucker said.<\/p>\n
Still answering the call<\/p>\n
Killings, who lives on the Eastside with his wife, Amanda, and their two children, said he has no plans to step away from the chief\u2019s role. He described the challenge ahead as meeting growing expectations with limited resources.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe community is expecting more and more from their Fire Department,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s up to us to be able to meet those challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Killings, the throughline remains clear. From a young man searching for structure to a fire chief entrusted with one of the city\u2019s most visible institutions, the work has followed a familiar pattern: a need emerges, responsibility presents itself \u2014 and he answers.<\/p>\n
El Paso Black Hall of Fame: Class of 2026<\/p>\n
Below is the list of this year\u2019s inductees into the El Paso Black Hall of Fame:<\/p>\n
Jonathan P. Killings: First Black chief in El Paso Fire Department history; Lifetime Achievement Award.<\/p>\n
Dana Harley Boyd: El Paso Independent School District executive principal; Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association president.<\/p>\n
Dr. Sandra Braham: Former University of Texas at El Paso and YWCA El Paso del Norte Region leader; nonprofit executive.<\/p>\n
Emmerson Buie Jr.: Walmart global security director; former FBI special agent in charge.<\/p>\n
Karen Cooper Linen: Registered nurse; civic advocate; NAACP member focused on youth engagement.<\/p>\n
Reginald Daniel Sr.: U.S. Army command sergeant major (retired); mentor and motivational speaker.<\/p>\n
Dr. Patricia Hills Davis: Retired OB-GYN; fourth-generation El Pasoan; longtime physician.<\/p>\n
Pastor Michael E. Grady: El Paso pastor; former NAACP El Paso president; gun-violence advocate.<\/p>\n
Anna M. Harris Howell: U.S. Army veteran; longtime volunteer; president, El Paso Commission for Women.<\/p>\n
Marc L. Perry: \u201cDJ Marc X\u201d; radio personality and mentor in El Paso\u2019s music scene.<\/p>\n
Dr. Bernard F. Samuel: Martial arts grandmaster; U.S. Army veteran; youth mentor.<\/p>\n
Ron Stallworth: Retired detective; author of \u201cBlack Klansman\u201d and \u201cThe Gangs of Zion: A Black Cop\u2019s Crusade in Mormon Country\u201d<\/p>\n
Stephen Twitty: Retired U.S. Army lieutenant general; strategic planning executive.<\/p>\n
Donald L. Williams: Attorney; first Black judge in El Paso; former NAACP El Paso president.<\/p>\n
McCall Neighborhood Center: Historic center preserving Black heritage and community programs in El Paso.<\/p>\n
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