Chief Burress works daily with Memphis Fire personnel and key stakeholders in the City of Memphis and surrounding areas advocating preparedness and resiliency. He began his career with the Memphis Division of Fire Services on September 14, 1998.

He was promoted to Fire Driver in 2001, promoted to Fire Lieutenant in 2004, promoted to Fire Battalion Chief in 2014, Division Chief in 2017, and Assistant Fire Chief of Operations in 2020. The work that embodies Chief Burress’s career has been in the Fire Suppression, Special Operations, Urban Search and Rescue (TNTF-1), and the Office of Emergency Management.

Chief Burress is a Task Force Leader for Tennessee Task Force One (TNTF-1), a member of FEMA’s Blue Incident Support Team, an Executive Board member of the Fire Museum of Memphis, a member of the International and Tennessee Fire Chief’s Associations, and a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs Urban Search and Rescue Committee.

Chief Burress has headed or been involved in various initiatives, including the Operation Feed Campaign (Memphis Food Bank), the State Fire Marshal’s Office Smoke Detector Program, The American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, and the Vitalant Community Leadership Council.

Chief Burress is a Christian Brothers High School graduate, has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from LeMoyne-Owen College, Master of Science degree in Operations Management from the University of Arkansas, and a Master of Arts degree from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA. Chief Burress is also graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program and the Fire Service Executive Development Institute. Chief Burress also holds the Chief Fire Officer designation from the Center for Public Safety and Excellence. In his free time, Chief Burress enjoys traveling, attending sporting events, mentoring youth and spending quality time with family and friends.