Chief Ben Carter
Fire Chief, Bradford County Fire Rescue
Chief Ben Carter has proudly called Bradford County home for most of his life. A graduate of Bradford High School’s Class of 2007, he began serving his community early, joining the Heilbronn Springs Volunteer Fire Department at just 16 years old. While still in high school, he dual enrolled at Santa Fe College and earned his EMT license, taking the state exam the day after high school graduation.
Chief Carter began his professional public safety career with Bradford County Fire Rescue in 2007 and has since served in a wide range of roles, including EMT, Paramedic, Quality Assurance Officer, Operations Captain, Division Chief, and Deputy Chief. He also worked for many years with Union County EMS and Starke Fire Rescue. He completed his firefighter training at First Coast Technical College in 2010, where he served as team leader of his academy class.
In 2011, he completed the Paramedic Program at Santa Fe College, later earning an Associate’s Degree in Emergency Medical Services. He went on to serve as a lead team paramedic, rescue diver, and Helicopter Underwater Egress Training (HUET) instructor in the private sector, training military and civilian personnel across the globe.
Chief Carter was honored as Bradford County’s Paramedic of the Year in 2015 and became a Certified Critical Care Paramedic through the University of Florida in 2019. In June 2022, after rising through the ranks, he was appointed Fire Chief of Bradford County Fire Rescue. Today, he leads a dedicated team of more than 60 professional firefighter-paramedics and EMTs.
He is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration from Flagler College in St. Augustine. Chief Carter remains grounded in his core values: faith in God, devotion to family, and commitment to his community.