Derrick's career started in 1987 as a volunteer at Stoney Point Fire Department in Cumberland County, and worked for five years with Fayetteville Fire Department assigned to Special Operations.  He is currently the Deputy Chief of Pinehurst Fire Department, a faculty member with Purdue Global University and retired in 2020 as a Deputy Director with the NC Office of State Fire Marshal over Fire / Rescue programs that included the Training, Ratings, and Grants/Governmental Services. He serves as Assistant Chief with East Side Volunteer Fire Department in Randolph County and is the Accreditation Manager for Stoney Point Fire Department.

Derrick currently serves on the North Carolina Fire and Rescue Commissions Certification Board and he has served on the National Fire Protection Association Standards Training Committee, the North Carolina State Firefighters’ Association Board as the Statistician, and the National Association of Fire Training Directors Strategic Planning Group.  He is a peer reviewer for the Commission on Professional Credentialing which is a part of the Center for Public Safety Excellence.  Derrick is also the recipient of the Ronnie Jack Coleman Leadership Legacy Award and recognized as a Lifetime Member of the Association of Rescue and EMS.

He has a Master’s Public Administration with Emergency Management Emphasis, a graduate of the NFA Executive Fire Officer Program, Chief Fire Officer Designee, Chief Training Officer Designee, along with many state certifications.

Derrick lives in Asheboro with his wife Heather and son Baron who is also a firefighter with East Side Fire Department.