{"id":6156,"date":"2022-02-08T20:51:46","date_gmt":"2022-02-09T01:51:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/?p=6156"},"modified":"2022-02-26T13:32:30","modified_gmt":"2022-02-26T18:32:30","slug":"diversity-milestones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/diversity-milestones\/","title":{"rendered":"Raleigh Diversity Milestones"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is the time of year that attentions turn to diversity and inclusion. And an occasional question to Mr. History is “who were the first X, Y, Z” in the history of the Raleigh Fire Department. Let’s dig into those old (and newer) milestones, and build a list accordingly. Here we go. Inputs welcome, notably data correction.<\/p>\n

First Female Lieutenants<\/strong><\/p>\n

04\/04\/84 – Lynn, B. A.
\n04\/04\/84 – Styons, T. A.
\n09\/21\/88 – Rubens, C. R.
\n02\/04\/87 – Jones, B. P.
\n01\/18\/89 – Lewis, L. S.
\n01\/30\/91 – Pickard, P. G.
\n01\/16\/99 – Britt, K. C.
\n01\/14\/12 – Whitaker, M. L.
\n12\/01\/12 – Peterson, M. A.
\n01\/02\/14 – Ali, D. M.
\n01\/01\/15 – Gutierrez, A. O.
\n01\/01\/16 – Johnson, E. D.
\n01\/01\/16 – Smith, M. R.
\n06\/01\/17 – Patterson, J. K.
\netc.<\/p>\n

First Female Captains<\/strong><\/p>\n

02\/04\/87 – Styons, T. A.
\n01\/18\/89 – Lynn, B. A.
\n01\/30\/91 – Jones, B. P.
\n01\/30\/91 – Pickard, P. G.
\n03\/04\/95 – Rubens, C. R.
\n12\/20\/97 – Lewis, L. S.
\n01\/07\/17 – Ali, D. M.
\n04\/01\/19 – Gutierrez, A. O.
\netc.<\/p>\n

First Female Battalion Chiefs<\/strong><\/p>\n

10\/28\/95 – Styons, T. A.
\n01\/21\/06 – Pickard, P. G.<\/p>\n

First Female Division Chief<\/strong><\/p>\n

12\/20\/97 – Styons, T. A.<\/p>\n

First Female Assistant Chief<\/strong><\/p>\n

07\/01\/06 – Styons, T. A.<\/p>\n

First Black Lieutenants<\/strong><\/p>\n

05\/21\/70 – Davis , R.
\n07\/01\/71 – Peacock, N. M.
\n10\/06\/71 – Jones, W.
\n10\/01\/75 – Hinton, T.
\n??\/??\/?? – Green, J. (by 1978)
\n02\/15\/78 – Brooks, W. E.
\n10\/11\/78 – Breeden, J. L.
\n04\/08\/81 – Forte, L.
\n10\/07\/81 – Smith, R. L.
\n??\/??\/?? – Debnam, R. S (by 1981)
\n06\/30\/82 – Dunn, W. “Tramp”
\n10\/03\/82 – Young, M. L.
\n08\/06\/84 – Dunn Jr., W.
\n04\/04\/84 – Hunter, A. N.
\n04\/04\/84 – Stanford, L.
\n03\/12\/86 – Allen, J. H.
\n02\/04\/87 – Burton, W. L.
\n12\/09\/87 – Evans, P. V.
\n02\/22\/92 – Spence, R. W.
\n12\/12\/92 – Tisdale, W. A.\u00a0
\n02\/05\/94 – Strayhorn, D. C.
\n10\/28\/95 – Sampson, C. L.\u00a0
\n11\/25\/95 – Edmundson, T.\u00a0
\n01\/06\/96 – Buxton, G. C.
\n01\/06\/96 – Dunn, W. E.
\n01\/06\/96 – Usher, T.
\n04\/13\/96 – Moore, R. F.
\netc.\u00a0<\/p>\n

First Black Captains<\/strong><\/p>\n

01\/09\/74 – Davis, R.
\n11\/14\/74 – Peacock, N.
\n09\/DD\/78 – Greene J.
\n04\/08\/81 – Hinton, T.
\n10\/07\/81 – Brooks, W. E.
\n??\/??\/?? – Debnam, R. S. (by 1983)
\n07\/13\/87 – Stanford, L.
\n10\/05\/91 – Breeden, J. L.
\n03\/07\/92 – Allen, J. H.
\n03\/05\/94 – Burton, W. L.
\n07\/08\/96 – Dunn, W. “Tramp”
\n02\/01\/97 – Young, M. L.
\netc.<\/p>\n

First Black Battalion Chiefs<\/strong><\/p>\n

10\/22\/80 – Davis, R.
\n11\/30\/91 – Stanford, L.
\n06\/01\/13 – Coppage, K. L.<\/p>\n

Note: Position was named District Chief before 2004.<\/p>\n

First Black Division Chiefs<\/strong><\/p>\n

02\/13\/91 – Davis, R.
\n01\/20\/96 – Stanford, L.
\n01\/01\/17 – Coppage, K. L.<\/p>\n

Note: Position was named Battalion Chief before 2004.<\/p>\n

First Black Assistant Chief<\/strong><\/p>\n

10\/02\/99 – Stanford, L.<\/p>\n

First Black Chief of Department<\/strong><\/p>\n

09\/08\/20 – Griffin, H.\u00a0<\/p>\n

First Black Female Lieutenant<\/strong><\/p>\n

04\/01\/19 – Webb, K. O.<\/p>\n

First Latino Lieutenants<\/strong><\/p>\n

06\/01\/13 – Arevelo, P. F.
\n01\/01\/15 – Gutierrez, A. O.
\n01\/01\/15 – Leiva-Penate, J. F.
\n03\/01\/20 – Lee, M. L.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

First Latino Captains<\/strong><\/p>\n

04\/01\/19 – Gutierrez, A. O.
\n01\/01\/20 – Arevelo, P. F.
\n03\/01\/21 – Leiva-Penate, J. F.<\/p>\n

First Latino Female Lieutenants<\/strong><\/p>\n

01\/01\/15 – Gutierrez, A. O.
\n03\/01\/20 – Lee, M. L.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

First Latino Female Captain<\/strong><\/p>\n

04\/01\/19 – Gutierrez, A. O.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Also<\/strong><\/p>\n

What about the categories of (a.) American Indian or Alaska Native, (b.) Asian, and (c.) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander? Believe just one person in those groups so far, in ranks of Lieutenant or higher, Captain Chris Holcomb, of Pacific Islander heritage, and who you may remember from this May 2021 city news story<\/a> about AAPI Heritage Month.<\/p>\n

Notes<\/strong><\/p>\n

These lists exclude the ranks of First Class Firefighter and Senior Firefighter, which reside between FF and Lt.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sources<\/strong><\/p>\n

Legeros records<\/p>\n

Raleigh Fire Museum Centennial Roster
\nraleighfiremuseum.org\/docs\/roll-call.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n

Raleigh Fire Department newsletter, promotional news.
\nwww.raleighfirenews.org<\/a><\/p>\n

Raleigh Fire Museum FB postings, promotional notes
\nwww.facebook.com\/raleighfiremuseum<\/a><\/p>\n