Published on The Black News on 28th April 2021
On 26th April 2021, Akbar Bennett was sworn in as Canton Fire Chief in Ohio. He is the first African American to occupy this position in history. He has worked for the Canton Fire Department for 29 years. He started as a combat medic for the Army National Guard and joined the Canton Fire Department in 1993. Initially, Bennett failed a test to qualify as Captain but persevered and became the first Black battalion chief. In 2015, he was promoted to division chief.
The Former Chief Tomas Garra retired on 2nd March 2021 and Bennett had served as interim Chief since then. Bennett stated that his purpose is to make the department more inclusive during his time as Fire Chief.
Read the Full Story at https://www.blacknews.com/news/canton-ohio-swears-in-first-ever-african-american-fire-chief/
