Amy Burton

Pender County Emergency Management officials recently announced that Amy Burton has been chosen as the new Pender County Fire Marshal.

Burton is the first female to fill the role of a fire marshal in the county, according to a news release

Burton served as the deputy fire marshal prior to her promotion, which was effective May 29, the release stated. As fire marshal Burton oversees fire safety codes, new construction plan reviews and fire investigations and serves as a liaison between the county and the various fire departments within the county.

“Amy is a team player and an asset to the emergency management department as well as the county,” said Tommy Batson, Pender County Emergency Management director, in the release.

Burton grew up in Kinston where her father pastored a church, and her family owns a farm in Jones County. She attended Chowan University as a music major in vocal performance. Her first experience in fire and public safety began as a member of the Wyse Fork Rescue Squad.

Burton studied to become an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and took her first paying jobs in Wayne and Jones counties in the EMS units. Burton is also a paramedic. “I loved the knowledge, just knowing what a person was experiencing and then how to respond,” said Burton of her EMT training.

In 2015, she moved to Wilmington and was employed by the Leland Fire Department. She studied to become a firefighter and rose to the rank of EMS battalion chief – the first woman to hold that rank in Leland, according to the release.

She later worked for New Hanover Regional Medical Center and soon discovered she missed the feel of a small town, the release stated.

In 2021, Burton was hired as the deputy fire marshal and she served under now-retired fire marshal Mark Haraway. “I learned so much from Mark,” Burton said in the release. “He is a load of information and experience.”

Burton said her hobbies include driving her Jeep, fishing and enjoying family, friends, and her dog, Mallie.