Sara Boone, a 24-year veteran of Portland, Oregon’s fire department is making history with her recent appointment as the city’s first African-American fire chief.
Boone was promoted to the role by Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty, who in January became Portland’s first African-American female city councilor, reports Oregon Live.
Hardesty says that Boone was appointed to the role because she impressed a panel of interviewers with “her commitment to community, her technical knowledge, her passion for the fire service and her leadership style.”
Boone, who was raised in Northeast Portland, became the city’s first Black female firefighter in 1995 when she joined Portland’s Fire & Rescue Department. Since then, she has worked her way up the ranks, serving as the division chief who led medical services and training before stepping into her most recent role.
“I am deeply honored to be the next fire chief of Portland Fire & Rescue, a bureau I hold in high esteem because of the men and women who serve with honor, integrity and sacrifice,” she said in a statement. “My mission has always been caring for the city where I was raised. I am committed to ensuring that our responsiveness and our professionalism live up to the highest ideals of service, integrity and equity.”
According to Oregon Public Broadcasting, Portland now has two Black women leading its major public safety agencies including Boone at Portland Fire & Rescue and Danielle Outlaw as the city’s police chief.
Go ladies!