The Chief of Special Operations and Safety is assigned to Fire administration is under the direction of Chief Charles J. “Skip” Pinkston, IV. This position falls directly under the supervision of the office of the Deputy Fire Chief of the Shreveport Fire Department. This position is responsible for the day to day special operations as well as health and wellness of all members of the Shreveport Fire Department.
Chief Pinkston was born in Texas City, Texas and raised in Haughton, La. He graduated from Haughton High School in 1991. He attended college at Bossier Parish Community College and Southern University at Shreveport. He joined the Louisiana Army National Guard December 12, 1989 and served in the following units: 527th Combat Engineers, 4/156 Mechanized Infantry, and 1083rd Transportation Company. Chief Pinkston received an Honorable Discharge from the LAANG on December 11, 1997.
Chief Pinkston began his fire service career in 1987 as a junior firefighter with Bossier Parish Fire District #1. As a volunteer firefighter he has progressed through the ranks to Assistant Fire Chief; were he still serves today. In 1993 he joined the Shreveport Fire Department and has served as a Firefighter E-1-C, Fire Engineer E-4/M-4 C, Fire Training Officer, and Fire Captain T-1-A and R-1-B. He was promoted to Chief of Special Operations and Safety on August 1, 2015 by Fire Chief Scott Wolverton. Chief Pinkston is a NREMT-Paramedic and has an Associate of Applied Science in Safety and Hazardous Material Technology from Southern University at Shreveport and Alumni of the National Fire Academy. He serves on the Louisiana Urban Search and Rescue Team as the Planning Manager for Task Force 3.
He holds many certifications and has completed several professional development courses through Louisiana State University – Fire and Emergency Training Institute (LSU FETI), Fire Department Safety Officer’s Association, FEMA, Pro Board Accreditation, International Fire Service Accreditation College (IFSAC), and Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX). He is an active member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC); Southwest Division of IAFC; Health and Survival Section of the IAFC; Louisiana Fire Chief’s Association; Bossier Parish Fire Chief’s Association. He is also earned his Eagle Scout from the Boy Scouts of America.
He has been married to his wife Robin for over 18 years and they have two daughters; Brianna – 13 and Meredith – 12. His wife Robin works as an educator for the Caddo Parish School Board.