DeWayne Rose serves as the Director of the Office of Emergency Management for the City of West Memphis. As the Director of Emergency Management, he is responsible for the safety and preparedness needs for the City of West Memphis and her Citizens. DeWayne interacts daily with emergency response agencies on the local, state, and federal levels to address issues related to emergency response planning.
DeWayne is from Marion, AR and has lived in Crittenden County his entire life. DeWayne began his emergency services career in October 1996, joining the Marion Fire Department while attending Marion High School. DeWayne joined the West
Memphis Fire Department on December 16, 2000. During his time at the West Memphis Fire Department, DeWayne was a member of the department’s SORT (Special Operations Response Team) and was trained by numerous local, state, and federal agencies. DeWayne was promoted to Apparatus Driver in 2005 and Company Officer in 2008. On March 15, 2013, DeWayne was promoted to Division Chief and became the City of West Memphis Fire Marshal. On January 1, 2019, Mayor Marco McClendon took his Oath of Office as Mayor, and subsequently promoted DeWayne to Assistant Fire Chief.
On June 2, 2020, DeWayne was promoted to Interim Fire Chief after the tragic passing of Fire Chief Dennis Brewer. DeWayne would lead the West Memphis Fire Department for the next 7 months before retiring on January 22, 2021 and accepting the position of Director of Emergency Management for the City of West Memphis.
DeWayne received numerous awards during his years of public service and is a very active member of the community. DeWayne is a State Fire Prevention Commissioner, appointed by Governor Asa Hutchinson and is a graduate of the distinguished West Memphis Chamber of Commerce’s Crittenden County Leadership program.
DeWayne is married to August Rose and they live in Marion, AR with their four children, Jaden, Julia, Gavin, and Gates.
