City Council Honors First African-American Fire Chief

Mayor Ralph Suozzi and the city council held a small ceremony at the start of Tuesday's city council meeting to honor chief Rodni Leftwich as the city's first African-American fire chief.

"As everybody knows, you're here because you're qualified, you can do the job and you worked hard for it, you just happen to be African-American," Suozzi said. "But still, an interesting moment in this city's history and I'm really proud to be mayor at this time, and I'm sure this council could say the same thing."

Leftwich called joining the department 20 years ago the best thing he ever did in his life.

"I live around the corner on Continental and I would always hear the horn blow, and I said, 'One day I'm going to go to fire calls,'" Leftwich said.

He thanked members of the department and his wife and family for their support over the years. 

The recognition coincided with the end of Black History Month, and was attended by several clergy members, a representative of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and officers of the fire department.