Jason Dean was a lifelong resident of Clayton, North Carolina, and loved his hometown. Jason truly was born with a servant’s heart; he began following his calling immediately after high school by enlisting in the United States Army as a cavalry scout. Upon returning home, Jason explored the various areas of emergency services. He worked briefly as a dispatcher with Johnston County Sheriff’s Department, then earned his EMT-Intermediate certification and joined Clayton Area Rescue. Jason worked with colleagues to build the department’s technical rescue team. Continuing his education, Jason obtained Firefighter I and II certifications and joined Clayton Fire Department, a volunteer department at the time. As he gained more knowledge of firefighting, Jason realized he had found his niche!

In 2000, Jason fulfilled his childhood dream by becoming a full-time firefighter for the Town of Cary, North Carolina, while continuing to serve part-time with his hometown department. As his career progressed at Cary Fire Department, Jason moved through the ranks of his home department as it evolved into a career department. In January 2007, Jason proudly became a full-time employee of Clayton Fire Department as the training and safety officer, then deputy chief of operations.

During his tenure at Clayton Fire Department, Jason worked to move the department forward by diversifying the types of services it provided as the community grew. Jason took tremendous pride in developing safety and response protocols and continuously taught certification courses for his firefighters so they could be prepared for any type of call the department received. Additionally, Jason’s love of teaching led him to numerous departments and community colleges throughout North Carolina.

While the fire service held a large portion of Jason’s heart, he held an equal amount of love for his family.

Jason’s mother, Becky, always spoke of her son and his career with great pride. In April 2004, Jason married his wife, Kristy. Together, the couple had two daughters, Addison (15) and Harper (9). Jason often invited his daughters to observe his classes so they could see Daddy in action.

His family proudly shared Jason with the Town of Clayton; as such, the entire community was affected by his death. Furthermore, Jason’s distinguished reputation in the fire service led to an outpouring of support for his family and department from across the entire state. While he is missed every day, Jason’s family and brothers and sisters in the fire service honor his life by continuing to serve those in need.