CFFJAC Alum Named Berkeley's First Female Fire Chief

Debra Pryor Says JAC Recruitment Led to Her Career as Firefighter 

After a four-month, nationwide search, the City of Berkeley announced the hiring of its first female fire chief, Debra Pryor. Garnering support from civic leaders, the community, and Berkeley Fire Fighters Association Local 1227, Chief Pryor will formally take over the Department’s top post mid-December.

Chief Pryor’s appointment is a landmark in the history of the California Fire Fighter Joint Apprenticeship (CFFJAC) program. It was nearly 20 years ago when the Berkley Fire Department signed on with the CFFJAC in order to improve on the quality of training for its firefighters, while also supporting equal opportunity for women and underrepresented target groups. To that end, Pryor, who was one of 12 other candidates (known as the “dirty dozen”), was hired as a firefighter apprentice.

As the first woman, and the first African American woman, to join the ranks of the department, Pryor would continue to raise the bar even further, setting a progression of “firsts” for women and minorities in the fire service. She joins Davis City Fire Chief Rose Conroy and San Francisco Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White as major department female fire chiefs.

“We have definitely arrived,” said Chief Pryor. “I feel privileged to be a part of such a strong league of women – and we’ve proven ourselves as dedicated, respected peers within the fire service. We need to continue to send the message out to young women that they can achieve anything they put their minds to. It’s a tough competitive job, but if you’re committed enough to work hard and meet the challenges head on, success can be yours.”

During Pryor’s 17-year tenure with the Berkeley Fire Department, on-going training and education was paramount. She studied and met the challenges to become the first female lieutenant, first female fire captain, first female assistant chief, and first female deputy chief in 1998. It didn’t take long for neighboring municipalities to take notice of her talent and leadership skills – in 2002, she was hired to the same deputy chief’s position by the city of Palo Alto. But for Pryor, earning the top spot in the fire department in which her career began, and in the city she was raised, was her most personal highest reward.

“I am extremely proud to be coming home, back to where my roots began” said Chief Pryor. “It gives me an opportunity to give back to the community and city I grew up in – and more importantly, allows me to work hard to make it a better place.”

Chief Pryor is the first CFFJAC apprentice to become a municipal fire chief in the State of California. “If it weren’t for the CFFJAC – I never would have had this opportunity,” said Chief Pryor. “It never even occurred to me that women could be a part of the fire service – because at that time, there weren’t any women firefighters. So, when a recruiter from the CFFJAC approached me, I thought, ‘This is something I would love to be a part of; helping those who are suffering or are in need, and giving back to the community is something that would make life worthwhile.”

Established in 1984, the CFFJAC is recognized as the premier firefighter training program in California. The CFFJAC is co-sponsored by the Office of the California State Fire Marshal representing management and the California Professional Firefighters, AFL-CIO representing labor. Currently, the CFFJAC provides essential on the job firefighting training for 110 participating fire departments across California.

“The partnership that exists between labor and management is what makes this program a success,” said Chief Pryor. “In my new role as Chief, I am looking forward to working with Berkeley Fire Firefighters Local 1227 to help bring new recruits in to this great profession, and more importantly to advocate that apprenticeship works!”