History was made for the Philadelphia Fire Department. Two new Deputy Chiefs have broken the glass ceiling.
One is the first Black female to hold the title and the other is the first Latino to be in the role.
Tuesday, Aug. 27 was a day of celebration as nearly 20 men and women from the Philadelphia Fire Department were surrounded by colleagues and loved ones as they each got sworn in for a promotion.
But, the two making history are deputy chiefs, Peter Crespo and Lisa Forrest.
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"Proud and honored, yeah looking forward to my next chapter and journey," Philadelphia Fire Department Deputy Chief Peter Crespo told NBC10.
Crespo is the first Latino to ever hold that title in the department's history.
For him, it's not just a win for his family but for the entire Latino community. This new title is a dream come true for a boy who grew up in North Philadelphia.
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"I didn’t know I could be a firefighter but being in the area of North Philly growing up, it was a dream and here I am and now I’m just shooting for the stars and doing the most that I can," he said.
The other groundbreaker is Philadelphia Fire Department Deputy Chief Lisa Forrest who is the first female and Black first-responder to hold the role in the department.
“This is bigger than me. This is for everybody. That young boy and young girl that’s looking at us and seeing that they can do this," Forrest said. “You know you can do anything that you put your mind to. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it."
Deputy Forrest said that she had a lot of doubters but through her perseverance she climbed her way to the top.
The room was filled with joy and support as several departments from surrounding states showed up to celebrate the empowering event.
This historic moment for the Philadelphia Fire Department transcends beyond the department itself, says Demitrio Oliveri of the Spanish American Professional Firefighter Association.
"It's not just us, it's also a community thing. We now have examples of what excellence is in our community," Oliveri explained.
The two new deputy chiefs will start their positions on Wednesday, Aug. 28.
