Today we’d like to introduce you to Toni Washington.
Toni, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I became Decatur’s fire chief in 2009 making me the first African American and female fire chief for the city; and the fourth African American female fire chief in the Nation. Shortly after college, I began working in the State Fire Marshal’s Office. While working there, I had the opportunity to meet several fire chiefs including one who made it clear that he was interested in recruiting women for his department. At that time, I had not considered becoming a firefighter. Actually, I received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from Savannah State University, but decided to explore the opportunity to become a Firefighter.
After rigorous training and many obstacles, I became one of the first seven women Firefighters hired in the City of East. I served in several positions in fire operations and ultimately worked my way to Deputy Fire Chief, serving six years under Chief Rosemary Cloud, the first African American female fire chief in the nation. I encountered many challenges and obstacles during this journey but used it as fuel to climb the fire ladder – physically and literally.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Although the fire service is a very rewarding career, it definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. One obstacle that women still face today in the fire service is having equipment and uniforms available that properly fit our stature.
A couple of the challenges that I have faced as a female Fire Chief are external performance disparity and not being accepted. As a female Fire Chief, my actions are always evaluated and sometimes scrutinized by my professional constituents. There have been many occasions where I am overlooked or ignored because of my gender. Although it has been sometimes difficult to comprehend, I have been able to overcome these obstacles. I focus on the tasks at hand understanding my goals and objectives. I don’t allow the unofficial evaluators to influence my decision-making process. I am comfortable with who I am, I love myself and I understand my mission.
What else should we know about the Decatur Fire Rescue Department?
We are a department within the municipal government of the City of Decatur. We are not a traditional fire service. In addition to fighting fires, saving lives and responding to emergencies – we are a community-based fire department. We focus on fire prevention, concentrating on being proactive instead of just reactive. It is very important that we understand that there is no such thing as a good fire. Every time there is a fire in the community, someone has lost their personal property and sometimes a life. Our job is to ensure that our buildings are constructed at a level in which they meet the proper building codes; educate the community, focusing on those that are at higher risk; and build relationships with citizens so that they know us before the call is answered.
I am most proud of the Firefighters and how we come together as a unit to meet the needs of the community. It’s all about the people we serve.
What sets us apart from others is our ability the be creative and not just concentrate on fighting fires, but understanding the dynamics of the community and knowing we must change the type of service we provide to meet the needs of our stakeholders.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success is accomplishing what you set out to do and feeling good about it.
The traits that I attribute to my success is my compassion and commitment to the job and the people. Yes, I am the Fire Chief but it’s not about me. I have high expectations for myself. I want my legacy to be what I did for the community and how I mentored and inspired people all over the world, not just that I was one of few female fire chiefs.
I think my style is a little different because traditionally the Fire Chief has been an autocratic leader. Although my style takes a little longer to execute, it has been very effective and personally rewarding. My leadership is more democratic and people-oriented. I like committees, I like employees to participate in the decision-making process. I feel that it is important to get the opinion of the people who are out in the field doing the job. It would be very easy for me to decide what uniforms and equipment to buy, but I support a team concept. I think it not only motivates employees but it also develops skills and promotes succession planning. Relationships, supporting and developing people are all high contenders in my plan. I believe that if employees are involved, they are happier which means we are more productive. I want them to come to work and feel that they have buy in, and are a part of an efficient and creative team that works hard at serving and making a difference in the community.
Contact Info:
- Address: Decatur Fire-Rescue Department
230 E. Trinity Place
Decatur, GA 30030 - Website: www.decaturga.com
- Phone: 404-373-5092
- Email: toni.washington@decaturga.com
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