Personnel

Meet Our Chiefs

Fire Chief

Scott Gowen

Scott Gowen is our Fire Chief for Central Sabine Fire. He was appointed as Fire Chief in 2008 and worked for Shreveport Fire for 28 years. Mr. Gowen is married to Edie Martone Gowen and has five children. He is a member of St. John's Catholic Church in Many. Chief Gowen has a BS in Fire Science and Emergency Management. Chief Gowen was a member of the LA Task Force 3 USAR team from 2006-2019. He served as the task leader during Hurricane Florence. Chief Gowen has multiple certifications in the rescue field including: Rope Rescue, Trench Rescue, Structural Collapse Rescue, Vehicle Extrication, Dive Rescue, and Hazardous Materials Technician.

Chief Gowen stated, "It has been one of the most fulfilling and satisfying duties that I have had the pleasure of doing," about being the Fire Chief.

Chief Gowen also said, "I know that I'm only as good as the people I'm surrounded by and I take pride in knowing our department stands out but also strives to better ourselves every day."

Assistant Chief

Matt Ward

Deputy Chief Matthew Ward is a Sabine Parish native and graduate of Many High School Class of 2000. He is a veteran of the U.S. Navy, serving onboard the USS John F. Kennedy and at Naval Air Station Meridian as an aircraft handler. Upon completion of active-duty military service in 2009, he and his wife, Amanda, and their daughters moved back to the Sabine Parish area. Deputy Chief Ward joined Central Sabine Fire District in 2012. He has served the Fire District and its Citizens as a Firefighter, Battalion Chief, and now as the Deputy Chief/Chief of Operations. He has worked as a professional firefighter since 2010 and is currently a Captain at Fort Johnson Fire Department. Deputy Chief Ward is a graduate of Upper Iowa University, with a Bachelor’s of Science in Public Administration. He is certified as a Fire Officer 2, Fire Instructor 2, Fire Inspector, Airport Firefighter, and holds multiple Driver/Operator certifications. He also holds certifications as a Rope Rescue/Confined Space Technician, Hazardous Material Technician, Dive Rescue, Critical Incident Stress Management, and as an Emergency Medical Technician-Basic. Deputy Chief Ward stated: “I take great pride in being able to serve the residents of Sabine Parish and our department’s personnel. I have enjoyed seeing the growth of our department because of the hard work put in by our team. This growth will allow our department to continue to provide exceptional service to the communities we protect.”

Battalion Chief

Marcus Lovitt

Marcus Lovitt is our Battalion Chief. He is married to Sue Lovitt and attends Mt. Zion Baptist Church. Mr. Lovitt has been a member of Central Sabine Fire since 1992. Mr. Lovitt served as the captain of Mt. Zion until he was appointed as the Battalion Chief. This last year, due to health reasons, he's had to step back and watch as others handled the scenes. Mr. Lovitt is all about helping others in their time of need and giving back to the community. Firefighting is a passion that he is proud to have and he is proud to be a part of Central Sabine Fire. Mr. Lovitt is certifed as a Haz Mat Technician through the Louisiana State Police and acquired his Firefighter II at Texas A & M.

Chief of Training

Chris Rainer

Chris Rainer is our Training Chief for Central Sabine Fire. Mr. Rainer has been an active member of this department since 2010. He joined at just 17 years old. He was appointed as Training Chief in 2022 and has worked for many professional fire departments such as City of Natchitoches and now Fort Polk Fire Department. Mr. Rainer is married to Lexi Rainer and together have four children. He is a member of Many Church of the Nazarene. Chief Rainer has multiple certifications in the rescue field including: ARFF, Vehicle Extrication, Dive Rescue, Instructor I, Confined Space Rescue, Tree Rescue, EMT and Hazardous Materials Technician. Mr. Rainer has held two in house Fire academies for our department as well as a Driver Operator class.

Chief Rainer stated, "I take great pride in being the Training Chief for my department. I strive to provide each member of our department with the best training possible."

Chief Rainer also stated, "It has been an honor serving the people of Sabine Parish for the last 13 years. I look forward to many more!"

Meet Our Firefighters