By MARTIN SNAPP
Contra Costa Times (California)
Addison Street was lined with fire trucks last Saturday as Berkeley firefighters said farewell to retired Capt. Wayne Dismuke at a funeral service at St. Joseph the Worker Church.
“We had to scramble to make sure the rest of the city was covered while the funeral was going on,” said Assistant Chief Lucky Thomas.
Dismuke, who died of cancer May 14 at age 64, was one of the heroes of the catastrophic 1991 Berkeley/Oakland hills fire. As the initial incident commander on the scene, he decided to make a stand at the Claremont Hotel, which some credit with preventing the firestorm from sweeping to the Bay.
He was also a pioneer in the struggle to integrate the Berkeley Fire Department. One of Berkeley’s first black firefighters, he graduated at the top of his recruit class in 1967.
“That put to rest once and for all the myth that we weren’t qualified to do the job,” said Thomas. “He made it easier for all of us who followed.”
Dismuke was the first African American to be named fire training director, a position he used to encourage blacks, women and other minorities to join the department.
He was president of the Berkeley Black Firefighters, and coined its slogan: “Serving the Community and Not Ourselves.”
“That slogan speaks volumes about his own character,” said Thomas.
But his greatest passion was helping young people. He founded the Berkeley Youth Academy, and was a strong supporter and house captain for Rebuilding Together, formerly known as Christmas in April.
“He never forgot where he came from,” said Thomas. “In his heart, he was still that teenager standing on the street corner, singing doo-wop with his friends. He wanted to help young people, especially disadvantaged young people, because they reminded him of himself.”
Dismuke was born Oct. 17, 1941. He graduated from Berkeley High in 1959, and served as a submariner in the Navy from 1959 to 1964. He retired from the fire department in 2004.
His survivors include his wife, Raquel Dismuke, daughter Monique Dismuke and granddaughter Nyela Jones.
His family requests that any memorial donations be made to Rebuilding Together. Send a check to Rebuilding Together, 3318 Adeline St., Berkeley, CA 94703 or log on to www.rebuildingtogetherabe.org.