In the 80 plus years of existence, the Tryon Fire Department has had 4 paid chiefs, who report to the Town Manager.  After the retirement of Jimmy Lankford in 2003, the Town of Tryon went back to a volunteer fire chief while evaluating the need of a paid position.  In 2005 Town Council agreed to reinstate the position.  Michael Coggins was hired from Asheville Fire Department to assume the position.  After Chief Coggins' departure back to Asheville the town hired Chris Burleson of the Enka-Candler Fire Department in October 2006.  Chief Burleson resigned his position in April and the Town offered the job to Joey Davis, who at the time was the Deputy Chief of the Town of Columbus Fire Department.  Joey began his job with Tryon on April 27, 2007.

Chief Davis is a native Shelby, North Carolina.  He is a 1993 graduate of Crest High School, and received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1997.  He is currently pursuing his Masters of Public Administration from Columbia Southern University. 

Joey began his career in 1997 in Cleveland County with the Cleveland County Emergency Management/Fire Marshal's Office.  He served in a variety of roles with that agency.  From 1998-2006 he was a member at the Oak Grove Volunteer Fire Department.  In 1999 he was hired by the City of Kings Mountain Fire Department as a fire inspector.  He remained in that role until 2004 when he was named the first full-time fire marshal for Polk County.  In that role Joey worked closely with the 6 fire departments of Polk County, including the Tryon Fire Department, at the time under the leadership of Bob Scoggins.

Davis left the position in late 2004 to return to Kings Mountain and served as Fire Inspector and Training Officer under Chief Frank Burns until December 2006 when he was hired by the Polk County Sheriff's Office as a captain and fire investigator.