The Chronicle
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — When Shirese Moore became a battalion chief for the Winston-Salem Fire Department (WSFD) last month, she became the first African-American woman to hold that rank in WSFD history.
Moore, who was born and raised in Winston-Salem, was in her 30s when she decided to try firefighting. She had worked as a medical secretary for more than ten years and found the job had become too predictable. She had a friend who dreamed of being a firefighter and who she was helping train for the profession’s physical entry tests. She said hearing about the profession made her want to try it. She applied with the WSFD and in 1999, passed the agility test and the other requirements to become a firefighter. She said that although it didn’t pay as much as her old job at the beginning, it was far more rewarding. She said she liked the unpredictable challenges of the job, never knowing what will happen next. But ultimately it’s helping others that has kept her in the profession.
“One thing we do know is when we go, we’re needed,” she said.
Full story: Moore becomes WSFD’s first black female battalion chief