Mayor Michelle Wu on Thursday appointed Rodney Marshall as Boston’s new fire commissioner, making him the first Black man to lead the department in its nearly 350-year history.
Marshall has served in the Boston Fire Department for 35 years, most recently as the chief of operations. He will be formally sworn in to the department’s top job later this month, replacing Paul F. Burke, who has led the city’s fire department since 2022. Burke reached the mandatory retirement age of 65 for Massachusetts firefighters this month, according to the mayor’s office.
Wu thanked Burke for his “strong and steady leadership,” and in a statement, called it “her honor” to appoint Marshall as his successor.
“As a lifelong Bostonian, he knows our communities, has demonstrated his leadership on the job, and has devoted his career to serving and protecting our residents,” Wu said.
Marshall first joined the fire department in 1991, before rising through the ranks to become deputy fire chief. He was recognized by the department in 1998 for saving several lives during a six-alarm fire, and earned another commendation for rescuing people trapped in a bus in 2013, according to Wu’s office.
Marshall also designed and launched the fire department’s cadet program, which aims to recruit young Boston residents.
Marshall is a Grove Hall native and graduate of Boston College.
“As a proud son of Dorchester, I joined the Boston Fire Department because I wanted to give back to the communities where I grew up,” Marshall said in a statement. “I’m committed to supporting the firefighters and staff who work every day to keep Boston’s neighborhoods safe.”
Marshall’s appointment comes after Wu has seen the departure of several high-profile Black officials from her administration in recent months. Jessicah Pierre, Wu’s former chief of communications, left the administration last November after Wu resoundingly won a second term. Segun Idowu, the city’s former chief of economic opportunity and inclusion, resigned from his job in January.
Then last month, Wu’s tourism chief, John Borders IV, stepped down for a role with Boston’s new women’s professional soccer team, Boston Legacy FC.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Niki Griswold can be reached at niki.griswold@globe.com. Follow her @nikigriswold.
