Mayor Wu appoints Boston’s first Black fire commissioner

BOSTON — Boston is marking a historic moment this morning as Mayor Michelle Wu announced her pick for the city’s next fire commissioner.

Rodney Marshall will become Boston’s first Black fire commissioner in the department’s 350-year history.

“Rodney will bring more than three and a half decades of experience with the Boston Fire Department to this role,” Wu said.

Marshall will become the 45th commissioner. He has served as Chief of Operations in the fire department and will be officially sworn in later this month.

“I love this department, and I love this city, and my favorite part about this job is talking to people, especially kids, about what it means to be a firefighter,” Marshall said.

Marshall will take over as the current Boston Fire Commissioner, Paul Burke, steps down after reaching the mandatory retirement age for Massachusetts firefighters.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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