Captain Lisa Forrest will be promoted to Battalion Chief during a ceremony Tuesday morning. This is a historic event because Forrest will be the first African-American woman to achieve this position in 149 years.
The ceremony will take place outside the Fire Administration Building on Spring Garden Street.
The Philadelphia Tribune published Lisa Forrest’s feelings about her designation. She said she never imagined herself as a fire chief. “My original goal was to come on to the Fire Department because I knew the city had tuition reimbursement. I wanted to go back to school to be a nurse. I figured I’d give it five years,” she said.
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Lisa Forrest underlines her surprise to be named for important positions. “If you would have told me that I would be the first African-American female anything, I would have laughed at you. I didn’t expect to be the first, all I wanted to do was do the job and learn every facet of the job.”
Lisa Forrest wants more diversity
Forrest was also the first female president of Club Valiants. This is a fraternal firefighter organization that ensures equality for minority firefighters, and said she owes her career to them.
“Club Valiants is the reason that I do what I do. If they hadn’t knocked on my door, there would be no Lisa Forrest in the Philadelphia Fire Department,” she said.
She also highlighted the importance of incorporating more diversity criteria in the department. “We all know that this city is very diverse and we know it’s a melting pot.
So I would like to see the Fire Department reflect that with more minorities and more women,” she said.
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