At their regular meeting held on Wednesday, January 5, 2022, the Lake Charles City Council adopted a resolution in support of Mayor Nic Hunter’s appointment of Delton “DC” Carter to the position of Lake Charles Fire Department Chief. 

The position became available upon the November 2021 retirement of Chief Keith Murray, after more than 30 years of service to the department.

After a call for the Fire Chief’s Exam through the Lake Charles Municipal Fire and Police Civil Service Board, and following the verification of test scores, all successful candidates went through an in-depth panel interview process.

“A Lake Charles native and veteran of the United States Army, Delton Carter has served the Lake Charles Fire Department, the City of Lake Charles and its citizens proudly for more than two decades,” said Mayor Nic Hunter. “With Chief Carter at the helm, I have confidence that our Fire Department is in great hands to move our City forward as we continue down the path of long-term recovery.” 

Chief Carter joined the Lake Charles Fire Department in 1999 as a firefighter and served in that role until June 2003 when he became a Fire Service Instructor in the department’s Training Division. In March 2021 he became the Department’s Chief Training Officer and held this position until his appointment as Lake Charles Fire Department Chief.

“The process of selecting the next Chief of the Lake Charles Fire Department has been a very real and organic one,” added Mayor Hunter. “Our personnel tasked with public safety are vital to our City every day, but never have we relied on them more than over these past few years as we have faced multiple natural disasters. They have been true heroes. I am confident with Chief Carter at the helm; our Fire Department is in great hands to move our City forward as we continue down the path of long-term recovery.” 

In addition to numerous fire service-related accreditations and completed course work through Louisiana State University and the National Fire Academy, Chief Carter also holds an Associate’s Degree in Fire Science, Bachelor of Science degree in Fire Administration as well as a Master of Business Administration, all from Columbia Southern University. He graduated with academic honors from both programs. He is also a member of Omicron Sigma Sigma, a professional honor society for Homeland Security disciplines, and Omega Nu Lambda, a national academic honor society.

He is also a member of the Certification Advisory Committee on behalf of the LSU Fire and Emergency Training Center as well as the Louisiana Firefighter and Emergency Responder Certification Program.

“After serving my country in the military, it has been an incredible honor to return home and serve my community for more than 20 years as a member of the Lake Charles Fire Department,” Carter said. “I look forward to the challenges of this new role. I am committed to working hard to instill a renewed sense of pride throughout our department, with a special focus on fire prevention, safety, rescue and community relations. I will lead the Lake Charles Fire Department and represent the City of Lake Charles with professionalism, respect, integrity, dedication and educational excellence.”