The African American Firefighter Museum, Los Angeles: aaffmuseum.org The Rookie Page

Brave and Beautiful

L-R Firefighter Sheila Hopper, Compton Fire Dept., Captain Veronie Steele-Small, Los Angeles County Fire Dept., Firefighter Cherish Murdock, San Francisco Fire Dept., Captain Khairul Ali, San Francisco Fire Dept., Battalion Chief Lorraine Hutchinson, San Diego Fire Dept., Fire Chief Debra Pryor, Berkeley Fire Dept., Battalion Chief Teresa Reed, San Jose Fire Dept., Firefighter Lead/Paramedic Michelle Banks, Los Angeles Fire Department, Firefighter Paramedic Lorrie Clethen, San Francisco Fire Dept, Firefighter Reneta Williams, Berkeley Fire Dept. and Firefighter Pamela Thomas, San Diego Fire Dept.

On June 11, 2005, the African American Firefighter Museum hosted a reception to honor three outstanding women from the Fire Service community. Fire Chief Debra Pryor of the Berkeley Fire Department, is the second African American woman to hold the top position in a fire department in the United States. Battalion Chief Teresa Reed of the San Jose Fire Department is the first woman chief officer in the Santa Clara County Valley area. And Battalion Chief Lorraine Hutchinson of the San Diego Fire Department, scored as the number one candidate on her promotional list.

The reception featured poetry by Doris Reed and refreshments catered by the Exquisite company. The three honorees were joined by a host of friends, family members and other African American Firefighting women and paramedics throughout the state of California

Brent Burton, President of the African American Firefighter Museum, Battalion Chief Lorraine Hutchinson, San Diego Fire Dept., Fire Chief Debra Pryor, Berkeley Fire Dept. and Battalion Chief Teresa Reed, San Jose Fire Dept.