Knightdale Fire Department promotes two veterans to leadership roles

Knightdale has elevated two veterans into top fire leadership posts as the town’s population and emergency workload keep climbing. William Boggs, a 32-year firefighter who had served as battalion chief since 2020, was promoted to assistant fire chief. Capt. Mark Guy, a 20-year firefighter with the department since 2013, was promoted to battalion chief and was set to serve as B Shift battalion chief effective June 10.

The promotions were effective June 6 and shift more of the department’s day-to-day planning and oversight onto Boggs and Guy. Boggs will handle administrative and support services, including planning, budgeting, fleet and resource management, emergency management coordination and compliance tied to the department’s protection rating. Guy will oversee shift operations and service delivery, a role that matters in a department that must keep enough personnel and equipment ready at all times.

Knightdale Fire Department operates out of four stations in the Alert Fire District, including Station One at 7477 Forestville Road, Station Two at 401 Hester Street, Station Three at 4828 Clifton Road and Station Four at 1325 Hodge Road. The department runs three engines, one ladder truck and one battalion chief in service, and it handles just over 4,000 calls for service each year. It is rated a protection class 2 under the North Carolina Public Protection Rating Program, a designation that can influence how insurers view a community’s fire protection system.

The promotions land in a town that has expanded quickly. U.S. Census Bureau estimates put Knightdale’s population at 23,144 on July 1, 2025, up from 19,435 in the 2020 Census and 11,401 in 2010. Town materials say the community has more than doubled in population since 2000. Located in eastern Wake County about nine miles from downtown Raleigh, Knightdale covers about 17.85 square miles and sits along major travel corridors including I-540, US 64 and I-87.

That growth has already strained the fire department before. A 2019 CBS 17 report on a town-commissioned study found the department was handling about 1,500 calls a year at the time, with service demand up 59.52% from 2007 to 2017. The study said staffing was the most significant need and called for an additional fire station and newer apparatus. It also found one firefighter for every 1,769 residents in Knightdale, compared with a Wake County municipal median of one firefighter for every 539 residents.

Mayor Jessica Day said the promotions reflected the strength of the organization and the caliber of people serving the community. For Knightdale, the changes are more than internal reshuffling. They show how much leadership, staffing and long-range planning now matter in a fast-growing suburb where fire response, equipment management and future expansion are all moving targets.