ICC eNews

Building Official David Kingsley Wore Many Hats for Department over 40-Year Career

[Source: http://www.kdhnews.com | July 21, 2009]

Walls in David Kingsley's office contain police badges and a certificate of valor to a firefighter along with numerous other certificates.

Everything on the office walls are items Kingsley, the city's building official, has earned during his tenure as a city employee; today, he is celebrating 40 years of service with Harker Heights.

"Building official does not encompass everything he does," Assistant City Secretary Patty Brunson said. "It is hard to say where you excel at, but David has always excelled at all of those jobs and all of the side jobs, too."

In 1969 Kingsley started as a patrol officer in the Harker Heights Police Department. He was made the city's building official in 1983. He served as fire marshal from 1989 to 2000, when he again was named the city's building official.

As building official, Kingsley inspects every home under construction and every commercial building. It is a job title he carries with pride. He said he sees himself as an advocate between builders and homeowners or consumers.

"I have been in every house at least five times before any owner steps foot in it," Kingsley said. "We are making sure that the building is safe for everyone to be in."

Harker Heights is a much different place from when Kingsley started his employment with the city.

"There were only three of us – two patrolmen and the police chief," Kingsley said. "When I started, there was no police academy ... I had to go buy my own gun."

The city's population was about 2,800 people; on Kingsley's second day of work, he was told to drive around the city, which took him about an hour, he said.

"Harker Heights had the only clubs and the only places for liquor sales," Kingsley said. "Every night you knew you were going to work two accidents and get at least one fight."

In October 1989 Kingsley accepted the position of fire marshal.

As fire marshal, Kingsley combined his talents as a police officer and building official to solve arson cases and determine what caused fires.

During his tenure with the fire department, Kingsley also responded to many fires and to several other incidents as an emergency medical technician, including the Luby's massacre in Killeen.

On Oct. 16, 1991, George Hennard of Belton drove his truck through a cafeteria window and opened fire on more than 100 people in the restaurant. Before Hennard shot himself, he killed 23 people and wounded more than 20.

Another incident Kingsley remembers well was saving a man stuck in a hole after the walls had collapsed on him.

"Me and another firefighter went into a hole and dug another man out," Kingsley said. "We didn't even think about it. To us at the time, it didn't seem any different from any other rescue. We didn't think that the walls could possible collapse on us, too."

City Manager Steve Carpenter praised him.

"He has done a good job in every capacity he has had," Carpenter said.

"It is very unusual to have somebody with that many skills."

Original Release

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