Benjamin Barksdale, a Prince George’s County Fire Chief, Turns Himself in on Charges of Misdemeanor Assault

Ben Randall is the top rescue swimmer for the Coast Guard Aviation Survival Technician Program, but his long hours have put strain on his marriage. After losing most of his team in a helicopter crash at sea, he becomes overcome with survivor guilt and experiences severe emotional anguish as a result of this experience.

Family members claim they escorted him to the door, but instead he shoved both her and Hung Nguyen and struck them both in the head before running to a nearby 7-Eleven and dropping his name tag.

Early Life and Education

As Benjamin Barksdale was growing up in rural West Virginia, he would hear the sirens from a nearby fire station and understand from his mother that these sounds signalled volunteer firefighters were out helping those in need.

Early experiences provided the foundation for his lifelong path as a firefighter. At 18 he joined the Spelter Volunteer Fire Department inspired to follow in the footsteps of his father’s footsteps and pursue this profession.

He began his career in Arlington County Fire Department in Virginia, rising to become assistant chief before taking on his current post as Prince George’s County’s deputy fire chief in 2011.

He now serves as acting fire chief of the county and manages over 2,500 employees in 45 fire stations. He wants to increase recruitment of career and volunteer firefighters; every engine and ambulance should be fully staffed 24/7/365.

Professional Career

Even though Barksdale never achieved fame as a drummer, he participated in jazz sessions and rock bands after work hours – while also enjoying late model cars. Unfortunately he passed away at age 76.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer appointed Barksdale as its new fire chief on September 28, 2019, following an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) investigation of sexual harassment allegations against him and other department leaders. He succeeded a previous chief who had resigned amid sexual harassment investigations into their department leadership.

Barksdale plans to use his new position to increase diversity within the department by encouraging more women to apply. A more diverse staff can foster camaraderie at stations and make responding to emergencies easier; his start date is set for November 15. In the interim period, acting chief Craig Buckley will serve as interim leader.

Achievement and Honors

In 2022, he was honored with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his tireless efforts in promoting road safety and being an official partner of #DrivingItHome Initiative. District 8 Council Member Monique Anderson-Walker presented him this honor during Tuesday’s legislative session.

Mayor Buddy Dyer appointed Benjamin Barksdale to head up Orlando Fire Department back in September, and on Monday they held their traditional Change of Command ceremony to mark his appointment as chief.

Barksdale boasts over 32 years of professional fire service career experience, serving as one of the first responders at the Pentagon during 9/11. His appointment comes following an exhaustive search to replace a previous chief who suddenly resigned amid sexual harassment claims. Barksdale started his career at Arlington County Fire Department in Virginia in 1987 where he eventually rose to become assistant fire chief.

Personal Life

Orlando Fire Department Chief Benjamin Barksdale has surrendered himself in order to face misdemeanor assault charges following an altercation at a North Carolina restaurant between Hung and Amanda Nguyen and Orlando Fire Department Chief Barksdale. Hung and Amanda claim Barksdale entered their Hasaki Grill & Sushi after it had closed demanding bathroom use; when they refused, Barksdale punched them both in the head.

Mayor Buddy Dyer appointed Barksdale to lead Orlando Fire Department, which employs more than 2,500 sworn and volunteer firefighters spread across 45 stations serving more than 905,000 residents in Orlando. Barksdale started his career with Arlington County Fire in Virginia in 1987, quickly rising through its ranks until becoming assistant fire chief before serving as one of the first responders at Pentagon after 9/11 attacks.

Net Worth

Barksdale’s work extends well beyond Prince George’s County; he often appears at local churches and events to speak on fire safety and prevention, as well as traveling twice to Kenya to train firefighters there.

Barksdale joined the department after retiring from Arlington County Fire Service in Virginia. Since joining, he has held both positions: deputy chief and acting fire chief of Arlington County.

James L Barksdale owns one stock valued over $5 Million according to public filings with the SEC, including shares of FedEx Corp (FDX). No insider trading transactions were reported within 18 months, as tracked by GuruFocus for all US-listed companies.