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Douglas County swears in first Black fire chief

A ceremony for Chief Roderick Jolivette was held at noon on Thursday.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. — Douglas County on Thursday has sworn in its first Black fire chief, Roderick Jolivette. The presentation began at noon at the Douglasville Conference Center.

Jolivette is described in his Douglas County bio as a 34-year veteran of fire and emergency services, and is a "well-respected speaker and instructor, who presents dynamic, power packed/high-intensity programs on leadership, instructor development, officer development, fire ground tactics, incident command and firefighter safety and survival."

The chief was originally hired in Jan. 2021, but an official swearing-in ceremony has been delayed due to the pandemic.

The ceremony included a presentation of colors by the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department Honor Guard, the national anthem performed by Antavia Williams and retired Atlanta Fire Rescue Chief Randall B. Slaughter as the keynote speaker, among other elements.

Credit: Douglas County Fire/EMS

Douglas County Superior Court Judge William H. McClain conducted the oath of office with Jolivette.

The chief is a former member of the U.S. Navy, where he worked on nuclear submarines, and received his honorable discharge in 1985. He is also the author of the book Rescued from Life's Burning Inferno and serves as a church deacon.

According to the county, Jolivette is married with four adult children and four grandchildren.

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