Lee Richardson

Chief Lee Richardson has dedicated over 40 years to emergency medical services and 25 years to the fire service, with a strong focus on education and leadership. He began his career at a rural hospital-based EMS service, later serving as the EMS Chief for a third city service and working as a full-time flight paramedic before transitioning to the fire service. For 13 years, he was the EMS Coordinator for a busy suburban fire department near Dallas, Texas, where he honed his skills in operational management. Following a successful tenure as a Company Officer overseeing the EMS Division, he was promoted to Assistant Chief. In September 2019, he accepted a position in a suburb of Dallas, where he recently retired. In this position he oversaw Fire Operations, EMS, and Training. He was also the TCOLE Agency Administrator. Chief Richardson holds a Bachelor of Science in Emergency Health Sciences and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration. He is certified as a Chief EMS Officer, Chief Fire Officer, and Chief Training Officer by the Center for Public Safety Excellence, and is an Executive Fire Officer through the National Fire Academy. He also holds numerous instructor credentials in EMS, fire, and law enforcement, as well as Flight Paramedic Certification (FP-C #287) and Tactical Paramedic Certification (TP-C #38) certifications from the International Board of Specialty Certification. An active leader in the field, he represented the International Association of Fire Chiefs on the NREMT’s EMS Employer Advisory Group and served on the NFPA 450/451 Committees. He was a Director At Large for the IAFC’s EMS Section and a Fellow of both the American College of Paramedic Executives (FACPE) and the Academy of Emergency Medical Services (FAEMS). With a passion for teaching, Chief Richardson has been instructing EMS courses for over 30 years, including five years as a full-time faculty member at a private college and is certified as a National EMS Educator (NCEE) from the National Association of EMS Educators. He serves as a Regional Education Coordinator for the National Association of EMT's (NAEMT) and is part of the International Instructor Cadre. His extensive experience and commitment to excellence continue to shape the future of emergency services. He is heavily involved in teaching Critical Care Paramedic classes, cadaver labs and the Resuscitation Academy.
He currently works as an Advanced Practice Paramedic for Parker County Hosp District EMS in Texas.