Norfolk made history last month by swearing in the city’s first Black fire chief.
In a June 28 ceremony attended by dozens at Norfolk’s MacArthur Memorial, 40-year department veteran Sidney Carroll was sworn in by Norfolk Mayor Kenny Alexander — the city’s first Black mayor — and City Manager Patrick Roberts.
“In my opinion, it was monumental,” Carroll said in an interview.
The ceremony came after an April announcement from the city that Carroll, then-interim fire chief, would accept the full-time position.
It’s been a decades-long journey for Carroll, who became interested in Norfolk Fire-Rescue while taking courses at Old Dominion University. He recalls being approached by a Norfolk official looking to recruit more African Americans into the profession.
At the time, the only thing Carroll knew about the job was from driving down Church Street and looking at the fire station there.
“I see these guys sitting out in front of the station in wooden chairs, and I’m saying, ‘Looks like an easy job,'” Carroll said with a chuckle.
The reality, Carroll said, certainly was different. After four months of training, he joined the department in 1982, and his first station was on City Hall Avenue, now the site of the MacArthur Center. Eventually, he transferred to Church Street.
“It wasn’t anything like I thought it would be,” Carroll said. “They were busy. They worked.”
Carroll recalled his jobs, ranks and stations with ease: ladder truck operator in Berkeley, lieutenant at Fire Station 10 on Virginia Beach Boulevard, captain at Fire Station 4 near the former Military Circle mall.
From there, he said he ventured into administrative work, with jobs including aide to the deputy chief, battalion chief and health and safety officer. With it came 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. hours — Carroll said firefighters typically work 24-hour shifts for 10 days a month — and a greater knowledge of the inner workings of the department.
He also learned a valuable leadership skill from his mentor and former Chief Jeff Wise.
“He always told me, ‘Listen to your people. Listen to what their problems are — even the citizens,'” Carroll said.
Carroll acknowledged racial prejudice existed even before he accepted a job. After joining, he began talking with other Black firefighters about the issues.
“They opened my eyes to a lot of things that I needed to look out for,” Carroll said.
Those firefighters included members of United Black Firefighters of Norfolk, who in the late 1970s filed a lawsuit against the city alleging employment discrimination in lack of promotions and hiring practices, according to Virginian-Pilot archives. In response to a later Justice Department civil rights suit, the city signed a consent decree to make good-faith efforts in hiring a certain percentage of Black employees, which Carroll said remains in effect.
In the original agreement, Norfolk officials agreed to strive to hire Black employees for 30% of all entry-level firefighting positions.
Today, 68 out of 477 fire-rescue employees are Black, or about 14%, according to city data.
Stacy Himes, battalion chief, communications, said after working with Carroll for several years, she sees him as down-to-earth and passionate about the field.
“He understands what it means to be in all the different positions in the city, so he can relate to anybody,” Himes said.
The fire and rescue field has changed significantly over Carroll’s career, he said. Now, firefighters must be proficient in technical rescues and water rescues, such as when vehicles crash off a bridge into local waterways. The fire department has several water rescue craft and trains for aquatic rescues.
Carroll said he is also proud of efforts to hire and promote more women. In 2020, Norfolk Fire-Rescue was facing gender discrimination suits from a retired firefighter and a fire investigator. According to city data from June 28, the department employs 49 women out of 477. That’s a slight increase from 42 women out of 504 employees in 2020.
Carroll makes $188,600 annually, according to thecity’s website. Predecessor John DiBacco made $156,962 annually, according to 2022 salary data compiled by the Pilot.
In the end, firefighters are around to serve Norfolk citizens, Carroll said.
“They will response with integrity and respect, and make everyone’s difficult time a better time,” Carroll said.
Trevor Metcalfe, 757-222-5345, trevor.metcalfe@pilotonline.com
