PRESS RELEASE
To: NEWSROOM
For Immediate Release
Contact: Asst. Chief Brian Crawford: 673-6652 or cell: 455-2609

January 11, 2007 - Fire Department to Promote First Black Emergency Operations Division Chief Officer

Fire Captains Elevated to District Chief Ranks

The Shreveport Fire Department will be holding a chief officer promotional ceremony that will see six of their Fire Captains elevated to District Chief ranks. One of those members will be making history by becoming the first African-American to achieve a chief officer rank in the Emergency Operations (Fire-line) Division. Ronald O. Jones, 56, was one of the department’s first black members, hired in 1976. He became the department’s first black Emergency Operations Officer when he was promoted to Fire Captain in 1995.

The logistics for the ceremony are as follows:

When: Friday, January 12, 2007
Time: 1:30 PM
Where: Fire/Police Training Academy
6440 Greenwood Road
Auditorium

The following is a list of all those being promoted at the ceremony:

• Captain Ronald O. Jones to District Chief
• Captain Mitchel O’Neal to District Chief
• Captain Randy Hodge to District Chief
• Captain Taris D. Cooper to District Chief
• Captain Tommy Adams to District Chief
• Captain Mike House to District Chief

Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran will be administering the new District Chiefs their Oaths of Office and presiding over the ceremony. ###