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Firefighter makes history as first African-American woman to earn 'Captain' title for GFD

A Piedmont Triad firefighter is making history, becoming the first African-American woman to be promoted to the rank of 'Captain' for the Greensboro Fire Department.

Firefighter makes history as first African-American woman to earn 'Captain' title for GFD

A Piedmont Triad firefighter is making history, becoming the first African-American woman to be promoted to the rank of 'Captain' for the Greensboro Fire Department.

SCHOLARSHIP SHIP, A TRY AT FIREFIGHTER HISTORY, BECOMING THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMAN TO BE PROMOTED TO THE RANK OF FIRE CAPTAIN FOR THE GREENSBORO FIRE DEPARTMENT. I SAT DOWN WITH TAMIKA BROWN TODAY, WHO IS CURRENTLY A FIRE INSPECTOR AS SHARED HER STORY WITH US. FIREFIGHTER IS MY ONLY TITLE I’VE HAD UP UNTIL NOW FOR THE LAST DECADE. TAMIKA BROWN HAS BEEN A FIREFIGHTER FOR THE GREENSBORO FIRE DEPARTMENT. ALTHOUGH BEING PART OF THIS FIREFIGHTING FAMILY BEGAN FAR BEYOND TEN YEARS AGO. SO IT STARTED WHEN I WAS A KID, AND MY DAD JUST RETIRED. HE WAS ITALIAN CHIEF. SO I’VE BEEN COMING TO STATIONS EVER SINCE. I CAN REMEMBER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS, SUNDAYS. WE WERE AT THE FIRE STATION, SO THAT’S WHEN I WAS FIRST INTRODUCED TO THIS JOB, A JOB SHE HAS DEDICATED TO FOR NEARLY TEN YEARS NOW. SIX MONTHS AGO, SHE WAS PROMOTED TO FIRE INSPECTOR. I WILL GO INTO THE VARIOUS BUSINESSES, SCHOOLS, GROUP HOMES, AND I EXPECT FOR FIRE SAFETY AND SO WHAT I DO DAY IN AND DAY OUT AND EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY 1ST. TAMIKA BROWN’S TITLE WILL BE CHANGING TO FIRE CAPTAIN. SHE IS THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN FEMALE TO EARN THAT PROMOTION WITHIN THE GREENSBORO FIRE DEPARTMENT. YOU KNOW, I JUST THAT IT INSPIRES OTHERS TO DO THE SAME THING. I HOPE THAT, YOU KNOW, IT SHOWS THAT THOSE THAT COME WILL I HAVE LONG GONE WILL LOOK AT ME AND SEE LIKE I COULD DO THAT, TOO. AND IT’S A POSSIBILITY AND NOT LIMIT THEMSELVES TO JUST KNOW A BOX THAT SOCIETY PUTS THEM IN. AND JUST AS SHE IS MAKING HISTORY NOW, THE NATION IS REFLECTING ON A MAN WHO ALSO DID JUST THAT. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. WE AREN’T HISTORY MAKERS WERE MADE BY HISTORY THAT’S WHAT HE THAT’S ONE OF HIS QUOTES. AND I LOOK AT IT LIKE THOSE THAT CAME BEFORE ME. WORKED HARD SO THAT I COULD DO THE THINGS THAT I’M ABLE TO DO. SHE SAYS, JUST LIKE PEOPLE THE WAY FOR HER, SHE’S HOPING TO PAVE THE WAY FOR SOMEONE ELSE. BUT IT’S ALL ABOUT PAYING IT FORWARD. SO I DON’T I DON’T REALLY LOOK AT AS ME MAKING HISTORY, ALTHOUGH I AM THE FIRST. I WOULDN’T DO IT. I HAVEN’T DONE IT ON MY OWN. I HAD SOME. I DEFINITELY HAD SOME ENCOURAGEMENT AND TAMIKA IS ALSO A NEW MOTHER TO A NINE MONTH OLD. SHE HER OWN EXPERIENCES WILL TEACH HE
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Firefighter makes history as first African-American woman to earn 'Captain' title for GFD

A Piedmont Triad firefighter is making history, becoming the first African-American woman to be promoted to the rank of 'Captain' for the Greensboro Fire Department.

A Piedmont Triad firefighter is making history, becoming the first African-American woman to be promoted to the rank of Captain for the Greensboro Fire Department.Temeka Brown is a fire inspector who has worked for the Greensboro Fire Department for about a decade."Firefighter is the only title I’ve had up until now," said Brown.Although Brown has worked for the Greensboro Fire Department for the 10 ten years, being a part of the firefighting family began well before then."It started when I was a kid," Brown said. "My dad just retired here as battalion chief, so I’ve been coming to the station since I can remember. Christmas, holidays, Sundays-- we were at the fire station, so that's when I was introduced to this job." Six months ago, Brown was promoted to fire inspector."So I go into businesses, restaurants, schools, group homes," she said. "And I inspect those for fire safety. That's what I do day in and day out."Effective Feb. 1, Temeka Brown's title will be changing. She's becoming a Captain.Brown is the first African-American female to earn that title promotion within the Greensboro Fire Department."You know, I just hope that it inspires others to do the same thing," Brown said. "I hope it shows those that come well after I have long gone, that they can look at me and say, 'I can do that, too,' and see it's a possibility and not limit themselves to a box society puts them in."Just as Brown makes history, the nation reflects on a man who also did just that, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr."We aren't history makers; we're made by history – and that’s one of his quotes," Brown said. "And I look at it like those who came before me worked hard, so I can do the things I am now able to do."Brown says just like people paved the way for her, she's hoping to pave the way for someone else. "It's all about paying it forward," Brown said. "So I don't look at it like 'making history,' although I am the first. I haven’t done it on my own, I had some help, and I definitely had some encouragement."Brown is also a new mother to a nine-month-old baby girl. She hopes her own experiences will teach her little one to one day follow her own dreams.

A Piedmont Triad firefighter is making history, becoming the first African-American woman to be promoted to the rank of Captain for the Greensboro Fire Department.

Temeka Brown is a fire inspector who has worked for the Greensboro Fire Department for about a decade.

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"Firefighter is the only title I’ve had up until now," said Brown.

Although Brown has worked for the Greensboro Fire Department for the 10 ten years, being a part of the firefighting family began well before then.

"It started when I was a kid," Brown said. "My dad just retired here as battalion chief, so I’ve been coming to the station since I can remember. Christmas, holidays, Sundays-- we were at the fire station, so that's when I was introduced to this job."

Six months ago, Brown was promoted to fire inspector.

"So I go into businesses, restaurants, schools, group homes," she said. "And I inspect those for fire safety. That's what I do day in and day out."

Effective Feb. 1, Temeka Brown's title will be changing. She's becoming a Captain.

Brown is the first African-American female to earn that title promotion within the Greensboro Fire Department.

"You know, I just hope that it inspires others to do the same thing," Brown said. "I hope it shows those that come well after I have long gone, that they can look at me and say, 'I can do that, too,' and see it's a possibility and not limit themselves to a box society puts them in."

Just as Brown makes history, the nation reflects on a man who also did just that, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

"We aren't history makers; we're made by history – and that’s one of his quotes," Brown said. "And I look at it like those who came before me worked hard, so I can do the things I am now able to do."

Brown says just like people paved the way for her, she's hoping to pave the way for someone else.

"It's all about paying it forward," Brown said. "So I don't look at it like 'making history,' although I am the first. I haven’t done it on my own, I had some help, and I definitely had some encouragement."

Brown is also a new mother to a nine-month-old baby girl. She hopes her own experiences will teach her little one to one day follow her own dreams.