Fire Department
Safety Officers Association

Lance entered the Fire Service in 2001. At that time he was working for a large uniform delivery service company and decided to enroll in the local fire academy. During that year he became a member of a rural volunteer fire department. He was a member of the volunteer service for 7 years and served as an assist chief during that time. Following graduation from the fire academy Lance began his first career assignment working as a firefighter at a DOE facility. The work done at this nuclear weapons plant gave him a greater understanding of strong safety culture, and also yielded a firm understanding of the industrial fire service. He worked there until 2005. In April 2005 Lance lost one of his friends in a LODD from falling out of a moving apparatus while responding to a structure fire. Following that event, Lance left the DOE facility, and began working for the Amarillo Fire Department. He is currently serves as the Captain in charge of the Safety program, with close to 14 years experience in his current city. Lance’s views on safety, tactics, culture and education continue to evolve; he strives to make positive impacts on today’s fire service.

Lance is married to an RN at a local trauma center, and they have two daughters. As a family they enjoy camping, hiking, and hunting. The Vinson family also loves baseball and travels to watch live games several times a year.