Mayor Wu names Boston's first Black fire chief

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has appointed Rodney Marshall as the city’s next fire commissioner. He is the first Black fire chief in the department’s nearly 350-year history.

Marshall, 58, will replace Commissioner Paul Burke, who was appointed by Wu in 2022. He recently turned 65, the retirement age for the position.

At a ceremony announcing his appointment Thursday morning, the Dorchester native said his top priority is the health, safety, and wellness of firefighters. He also said he plans to make the department more accessible to the city’s kids.

“ I'm going to make sure that during the summer months, all these firehouse doors will be open,” he said. “I want city kids, kids from every neighborhood, to be able to walk in, see the trucks, talk to the firefighters and experience the wonder and excitement of seeing this job up close."

He said he hopes a kid who visits one of the city’s firehouses, from Roxbury and Dorchester to Brighton, “will be up on this stage one day, replacing me as fire commissioner.”

Marshall, who joined the department in 1991 and currently serves as chief of operations, will become the city's 45th commissioner when he’s sworn in later this month.

This is a developing story. It will be updated.