Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty has appointed Sara Boone as Portland’s fire chief, bringing Boone full circle from becoming the city’s first African American woman firefighter in 1995 to its first African American chief.
Boone was selected because she impressed an interview panel with “her commitment to community, her technical knowledge, her passion for the fire service and her leadership style,” said Hardesty, the Fire Bureau commissioner, who in January became Portland’s first African American city councilor.
Hardesty said she is confident Boone “will make sure our city is safe and cared for under her watch.”
“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.” Boone said in a statement.