Theodore R. Coleman began his firefighting career in 1953 as a private in the District of Columbia Fire Department (DCFD). He rose through the ranks and became the twentieth Fire Chief of DCFD in 1983. He managed a $100 million dollar annual budget and 1,535 employees. In his 36 years of service in the department, Coleman saw discrimination, disparate treatment, inconsistent operation, and under some conditions, just plain old disrespect for each other. As Fire Chief, he sought to eradicate these inequities wherever they existed and was instrumental in addressing many egregious conditions...
Theodore R. Coleman began his firefighting career in 1953 as a private in the District of Columbia Fire Department (DCFD). He rose through the ranks a...
