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Meet the Command Staff
Chief LeAnn Tacon • Fire Chief
Chief LeAnn Tacon joined the Daphne Fire Department as Fire Chief in January 2021 after serving 33 years with the Mobile Fire Rescue Department. During her time in Mobile, Chief Tacon served in all ranks including Firefighter, Captain, Training Officer, and District Chief in both Operations and Emergency Medical Services (EMS). She is also a member of the Alabama Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue Team.
Lamar Green • Battalion Chief (A Shift) & Dept. Chaplain
Lamar Green is the Battalion Chief assigned to A Shift. Lamar became a member of the Daphne Fire Department in 2006. He was volunteer firefighter with Fish River Marlow and paramedic with Medstar EMS prior to joining the ranks of Daphne Fire. He has worked as both a Firefighter and a Training Lieutenant before being promoted to Captain then Battalion Chief.
Battalion Chief Green is an administrator for the EMS division at Daphne Fire, which encompasses quality assurance, EMS services and supplies, and EMS training for the Department. He is also Director of Field Operations for the Alabama Gulf Emergency Medical Services System (Region 6 for the Alabama Department of Public Health Office of Emergency Medical Services), which includes the counties of Baldwin, Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia, Mobile, Monroe, and Washington.
Chief Green grew up in Childersburg, Alabama and graduated from Childersburg High School in 1994. He initially attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham after high school and completed his B.S. degree in EMS at the University of South Alabama (USA) in 2019. He also completed his Paramedic Training at USA and has since earned his Critical Care Paramedic certification and become a flight paramedic. Lamar has also attended the National Fire Academy for leadership training and holds various certifications from the Alabama Fire College, American Heart Association, and National Association of EMTs.
Nathan Adams • Battalion Chief (B Shift)
Nathan Adams is the Battalion Chief for B Shift. He began serving in the United States Army in 1997 and became a firefighter for the Alabama Air National Guard’s 187th Fighter Wing in 2005. He was hired by the Daphne Fire Department in 2007 and has been promoted through the ranks from Firefighter to Battalion Chief. He retired from the 187th Fighter Wing as the Deputy Chief of Operations in September 2022.
Chief Adams possesses numerous state and national certifications in firefighting, hazardous materials, technical rescue, para-medicine, and emergency management. He is a 2015 graduate of the Community College of the Air Force (AAS in Fire Science), a 2017 graduate of Coastal Alabama Community College (AS in Business Administration), and holds a Paramedicine degree from the University of South Alabama.
Andy Ray • Battalion Chief (C Shift)
Andy Ray is the Battalion Chief for C Shift. A 1989 graduate of Foley High School, Chief Ray served in the United States Air Force as a firefighter from 1989 to 1998, most notably through Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield.
After his military service, Chief Ray began with the Daphne Fire Department in September 1998 as a firefighter and driver, and in 2006, he was promoted to Supervisor of B Shift. He assumed departmental training responsibilities in 2018, and in 2020 was assigned as the Battalion Chief of Training.
Chief Ray is a graduate of the American Military University and holds both an Associates Degree in Fire Science (2012) and a Bachelor’s Degree in Fire Service Management (2015).
Adam Queen • Battalion Chief Training
Adam Queen is Battalion Chief of Training. He oversees all fire-related training for the Department, including the scheduling of classes taught at Daphne Fire Training Station 1 or any regional training, including any fire trainings throughout the state, such as Fire Officer I, Instructor I, and Technical Vehicle Extrication. Battalion Chief Queen is also responsible for coordinating community classes and training programs.
He began his career as a student firefighter with the Auburn Fire Department in 2006. Upon joining the Daphne Fire Department in 2009, Battalion Chief Queen served as a Firefighter/EMT, and was then promoted to Lieutenant in 2012 and Captain in 2021.
Battalion Chief Queen graduated from Benjamin Russell High School in Alexander City, Alabama in 2004, and completed his Associates Degree from Southern Union State Community College in 2021. Queen is a third generation firefighter, with his father and grandfather both having served for over 30 years in the Alexander City (Alabama) Fire Department.
David Saraceno • Captain (A Shift)
Captain David Saraceno began his fire career as a Firefighter/EMT at Mobile Fire Rescue from 2008 to 2012, when he then joined the Daphne Fire Department. Since joining the DFD, he has served as a Firefighter/Driver, Engine Company Lieutenant / Shift Training Lieutenant, and now serves as shift Captain.
Saraceno began his EMS career with the American Medical Response, a private ambulance service in Mobile, Alabama (2006 - 2011), then pursued a career in EMS at the University of South Alabama. He is also a 2005 graduate of Fairhope High School.
Captain Saraceno has a passion for teaching and has either taught or assisted in teaching several Alabama Fire College courses to local firefighters while being a part of the Daphne Fire Department Training Staff. He holds various certifications including: Fire Instructor I & II; Fire Inspector I & II; Live Fire Instructor; Basic Life Support (BLS) Instructor; Fire Officer I, II, & III; Rope Rescue; Hazardous Materials Technician; Hazardous Materials Incident Commander; and Apparatus Operator Pumper & Aerial.
Saraceno is not only dedicated to his career in fire service, but he says his number one passion is his family, including his wife and two daughters.
"My father dedicated 26 years of his life to the fire service and has always been my hero, and because of him, I knew what I wanted to do at an early age. Because he and my mother always pushed me to be the best version of myself, I am where I am today.
The best part about working in the City of Daphne is it's citizens. Although we in no way feel that it is needed, the citizens go out of their way daily to praise and let us know how much we are appreciated. When you come to work day in and day out and the people you interact with treat you with the utmost respect and confidence in your duties, it makes the best job in the world that much better. So thank you (to our community) for treating us the way that you do!"
Eric Hayes • Captain (B Shift)
Captain Eric Hayes is currently the Captain for the B Shift, overseeing daily operations, mentoring crew members, and assisting with administrative duties. He serves as the assistant director of emergency medical service operations and manages the emergency medical services quality assurance/quality improvement program, ensuring that protocols, training, and patient care meet the highest standards.
Captain Hayes began his fire career with the Daphne Fire Department in 2000 as a firefighter. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 2007, where he operated as an engine company officer, supervising crews and assisting with managing the emergency medical service operations.
He graduated from the Mobile Fire Rescue Department Firefighter Recruit School as part of the class 2001-01. After graduating, he immediately enrolled in paramedic school at the University of South Alabama and graduated in 2002.
Captain Hayes served as a tactical medic on the Daphne Police Department’s Special Response Team (SRT) for 16 years before deciding to pursue advanced critical care paramedic training. In 2019, Captain Hayes became a certified critical care flight paramedic and currently works part-time for one of the local air medical transport services. His expertise in critical care and aeromedical transport has significantly benefited our community and the Daphne Fire Department.
Captain Hayes holds numerous certifications from the Alabama Fire College, including Fire Officer, Fire Instructor, Fire Inspector, Fire Investigator, and Hazardous Materials Technician, to name a few. He maintains provider and instructor certifications for Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support, and CPR.
Captain Hayes adds, "from a young age, I dreamed of becoming a firefighter. That dream became a reality almost 25 years ago when the City of Daphne hired me. Since then, I've dedicated my career to serving this community, and it's been a privilege to do so."
Joe Staska • Captain (C Shift)
Captain Joseph Staska began working for the Daphne Fire Department in 2009. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 2018 and became Captain in 2024. He is certified in Confined Space Rescue, Rope Rescue, Trench Rescue, and Hazardous Materials Technician and is in charge of the Hazardous Materials Division for Daphne Fire. He is active in the Local Emergency Planning Committee that aims to plan for emergencies and prepare Baldwin County for comprehensive response situations.
A native of Appleton, Wisconsin, Captain Staska began his fire service career in 2006 with the Grand Chute Fire Department. It was there in 2008 he completed a degree in Fire Science at Fox Valley Technical College. Once relocating to the Eastern Shore, he attended Coastal Alabama Community College and completed his degree in Paramedicine in 2018.
Captain Staska strives to be with his family as much as he is able. As a family, they enjoy hiking, gardening and camping. Joe enjoys working with his hands doing carpentry, landscaping and anything else he can do for his homestead.