Meet Grand Prairie's Fire Chief Finalists

James Kubinski currently serves as Fire Chief for the City of Killeen, Texas. He brings nearly 30 years of fire service experience, including 21 years with the Naperville Fire Department in Illinois, where he advanced through the ranks to EMS Division Bureau Chief.

As Killeen’s Fire Chief, Kubinski oversees emergency operations, emergency management and preparedness, community risk reduction, and strategic and capital planning. Under his leadership, the department has maintained its ISO Class 1 rating and American Heart Association Gold Plus recognition, expanded staffing and emergency response resources, and implemented new lifesaving programs. He has also overseen major facility projects completed on time and under budget.

His leadership philosophy emphasizes trust, accountability, transparency, responsible stewardship of public resources, employee development, and continuous improvement.

Kubinski holds an Associate of Applied Science in Fire Science from Joliet Junior College and a Bachelor of Arts in Management from Benedictine University. His professional credentials include the Chief Fire Officer designation through the Center for Public Safety Excellence, Illinois Chief Fire Officer Certification, paramedic and firefighter certifications from Illinois State, FEMA Incident Management certifications, and Texas Basic Firefighter and Head of Department certifications. He also serves as Treasurer of the Bell County Fire Chiefs Association. 

Ricardo “Richie” Quintero has more than 30 years of experience with the Corpus Christi Fire Department at every level of the organization.

Quintero has overseen a department of more than 450 personnel and managed operating and capital budgets. He has led emergency operations during large-scale emergencies, coordinated multi-agency response and maintained continuity of critical services.

Quintero has also led several major public safety and workforce initiatives, including hurricane-and tornado-resistant community safe rooms, a high school fire academy program, and efforts to strengthen paramedic recruitment and training. His work has expanded emergency response capabilities in areas such as hazardous materials, tactical EMS, peer support, and emergency operations planning.

His leadership philosophy emphasizes humility, visibility, authenticity, employee development, and building trust with both the workforce and the community.

Quintero holds an MBA in Data Analytics and a BBA in Management from the University of the Incarnate Word, along with an AAS in Fire Science from Del Mar College. His professional credentials include Master Structural Firefighter, Licensed Paramedic, Fire Instructor II, and multiple position-specific NIMS certifications. He is a member of IAFC, IAEM, GFOA, ICMA, IAFF, and regional fire chief associations. 

A longtime Grand Prairie resident, Stephan J. Lopez Jr. brings more than 25 years of fire service experience with Dallas Fire-Rescue. He currently serves as Deputy Chief of the department’s Special Operations Division, overseeing programs that include hazardous materials response, urban search and rescue, swiftwater rescue, aircraft rescue and firefighting, wildland firefighting, and marine operations.

Throughout his career, Lopez has held leadership roles in special operations, training and fleet, safety, and data and analytics. He also played a key role in Dallas Fire-Rescue’s COVID-19 response, including command of the Dallas County mass vaccination site and support of FEMA-coordinated medical operations.

Lopez has extensive experience in large-scale emergency response and has served as a Task Force Leader with Texas Task Force 2, a Type I Urban Search and Rescue team. He also brings a strong academic and professional development background, including graduate-level studies in homeland security and executive leadership and national fire service credentials.

His leadership approach emphasizes innovation, organizational culture, professional development, and using research and data to strengthen public safety operations and better serve the community.

Lopez holds five academic degrees, including a Master of Arts in Homeland Security and Defense from the Naval Postgraduate School and a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences in Emergency Management Administration from West Texas A&M University, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy in Public Affairs from the University of Texas at Dallas. Lopez holds national credentials as an Executive Fire Officer (EFO), Chief Training Officer (CTO), Chief Fire Officer (CFO), and Fire Service Chief Executive Officer (FSCEO). He is a proud graduate of the Presidential Leadership Scholars Program.