McKeesport's first Black fire chief retires

Jet, April 11, 2005

MCKEESPORT'S FIRST BLACK FIRE CHIEF RETIRES: McKeesport (PA) Fire Chief Frederick A. Bray, 61, recently retired from the fire department after nearly 40 years of service. He became a firefighter in 1968 and was named the city's first Black fire chief in 1994. Under Bray's watch the department updated and expanded its firefighting techniques, gained over $2 million of state-of-the-art firefighting equipment, played a part in the creation of a nationwide grant for fire stations and initiated a fire department marine rescue unit. "Ever since I was 5, I wanted to be a fireman. When I became one I did the best I could ... I would bring back new ideas. I didn't keep it to myself if there was a better way. I wasn't selfish about anything I've learned because when you fight fires, you depend on one another for your life," Bray said.

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