Former Roanoke Rapids fire chief returns to Halifax Academy as instructor

A familiar face is returning to Halifax Academy, this time at the front of the classroom.

Jason Patrick, a Roanoke Rapids native and 1995 Halifax Academy graduate, has joined the school’s staff to teach its Public Safety class.

Patrick retired from the City of Roanoke Rapids Fire Department in September 2025 following 28½ years of service. He spent his final seven years with the department serving as fire chief.

He is a North Carolina certified firefighter, emergency medical technician and Level I fire inspector and holds an associate degree in Fire Protection Technology from Wilson Technical Community College. Patrick has also attended the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland, numerous times, where he trained alongside first responders from across the country.

While this will be Patrick’s first experience teaching in a traditional school setting, teaching itself is not new to him. He has been a certified fire service instructor for more than 20 years.

According to Halifax Academy, Patrick hopes to use his knowledge and real-world experience to help students better understand the different areas of public safety and potentially introduce them to career opportunities in those fields.

Patrick’s connection to Halifax Academy extends beyond his own time as a student.

His mother was among the first students to attend Halifax Academy when the school opened in 1969. Patrick later graduated from the school himself, and his daughter, Olivia, is beginning her second year at Halifax Academy as a seventh grader.

Patrick and his wife, Becky, have been married for 21 years.

Now, 57 years after his mother first attended Halifax Academy, Patrick returns as a member of the school’s staff — continuing a family connection that has spanned three generations.