Fort Worth City Manager Jay Chapa is appointing James Horton to be interim fire chief while the city searches for a new fire chief.
Horton, an assistant chief in the department, will take over as interim chief Aug. 31, the same day Raymond Hill retires. Hill became the interim chief in October last year, stepping in after fire chief Jim Davis resigned.
Fort Worth City Council members will vote Tuesday on the appointment.
The announcement comes amid contract negotiations between the city and the Fort Worth Professional Firefighters Local 440. The 440 said in mid-July it had reached an impasse with the city in the talks.
Horton’s nearly three-decade career has spanned fire operations, administration, fire prevention and investigation, emergency medical services, strategic planning and organizational growth.
Horton was deputy fire chief from 2022 to September 2025.
He served on the executive committee overseeing the integration of MedStar’s ambulance services into the fire department. He helped secure $34.4 million in the city’s 2026 bond program to construct a new fire station in a high-growth area and replace an existing one. Horton also served on a staffing committee that resulted in adding 70 new sworn firefighter positions and six new civilian positions.
Horton holds a doctorate in urban and public administration from the University of Texas at Arlington; a master’s degree in public administration from the University of North Texas; and a bachelor’s degree in emergency management and disaster planning from UNT. He joined the Fort Worth Fire Department in 1998.
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 7:40 p.m. Aug. 24 with James Horton’s biographical information provided by the city of Fort Worth.
Scott Nishimura is senior editor for local government accountability and a Fort Worth City Hall reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Reach him at scott.nishimura@fortworthreport.org.
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