A chance encounter led him from RV repair to leading Warner Robins Fire training

There’s no doubt that in firefighting, extensive training is needed to do the job right. And at Warner Robins Fire Department, Assistant Chief Michael Buckner is the man with the plan.

Buckner is the department’s head of the training division, responsible for developing and implementing training plans.

Buckner stepped into the role in March 2025. Before that, he was the captain who delivered the training. Overall, he has been with the department for 19 years.

His day starts 30 minutes before his scheduled start time. Once the training safety officers arrive, he’ll conduct a briefing to discuss goals and responsibilities. After that, he ensures they have the resources for success.

On top of that, Buckner oversees investigations and heads the department’s social media team.

“A lot of paperwork,” he said, laughing.

Additionally, Buckner is the Health and Safety program manager.
“Anything health and safety related with the fire department is my responsibility. That includes policy enforcement, policy development and obviously, implementation. Anything you can think of, from [personal protective equipment,] all the way to some of our equipment that we use, I’m responsible for,” he said.

Before firefighting, Buckner was an RV technician in Byron, where a chance encounter with a coworker sparked his interest.
The coworker had come into the shop, sweating profusely, his arms and face bright red. Buckner originally thought his coworker was having an emergency, but he had just returned from responding to one.

“I asked if he was okay and he said, ‘Yes, I just got back from a fire. I’m a volunteer firefighter.’ He explained it to me and the rest is history.

After that, he invited me to my first training meeting with Peach County Fire Department and I became a member very shortly thereafter,” he said.
Buckner started as a volunteer and, in 2005, was deployed to Louisiana to assist in search and rescue efforts after Hurricane Katrina. For him, being an RV technician paled in comparison to being in the storm’s aftermath.
“When I left that location and came back to Georgia and had to go back to my regular job. I could no longer do that job. At that point I made a decision that I was going to become a full-time firefighter, and that’s what I aggressively pursued,” he said.

Now in an admin role, mentorship is his passion and a perfect fit as training chief.

“Firefighting is the best job on the planet. When you get into an administrative role, helping people to develop and advance their career is the most rewarding thing that you can have in this job,” he said.

And it’s the people at the fire department who motivate him. He said their tenacity, demeanor, positive attitude and perseverance are inspiring.

“They will pursue training with every part of them. That is just something that’s built into the DNA of the Warner Robins Fire Department.

They are extremely dedicated to what they do for themselves, as well as the citizens,” he said.

Buckner is dedicated as well, working overtime for Emory Healthcare EMS and as a live fire instructor for Georgia Fire Academy. Through the state he also trains volunteer departments when they are unable to secure training.

Although he takes on a lot and works tirelessly, he admits he can’t do it all alone.

“I’m not a bragging person. There’s no ‘I’ in this. The fire department can’t run off a single individual. The vision can’t run off a single individual. It takes a team to be able to accomplish what we have to be able to accomplish. I wouldn’t be successful or sitting in this position if it wasn’t for my team,” he said.

Buckner specifically thanked his training safety officers: Andre Grace, Calvin Huggins and Jessten Mullis. He also thanked his command team: Deputy Chief of Administration Jason Mock, Deputy Chief of Operations Ned Dixon and Fire Chief Albert Wright.

Overall, Buckner is proud to work with a world-class fire department.

“We have some of the best instructors, the best leadership,” he said. “We are well respected within the fire service as a whole, and we are well respected within our community. Everyone has a very positive vibe when it comes to the fire department.”