Reginald Freeman
City of Oakland
Oakland, CA USA
"It wasn’t about being the best, it was about putting my best foot forward."
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Reginald's work combines: Government, Armed Services, and Helping People
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
Early in my career, I used to accomplish goals in order to prove people wrong. I pursued the more difficult officer classes because my colleagues told me I couldn't do it. I'd accomplish the goal so that I could show them my certification and prove them wrong. Now, I encourage other firefighters not to make that same mistake. Do things because you want to, not because of what others say to you. At the end of the day, your opinion is the only one that matters, not anyone else's.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Leadership
Bellevue University
Graduate Degree
Executive Fire Service Leadership
Grand Canyon University
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
I was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, but moved every three years because my father was in the Air Force.
2.
I was an all American athlete in high school and college but unfortunately got injured during my freshman year of college.
3.
I was originally interested in becoming a DEA agent but knew that the educational experience required wasn’t a great fit for me.
4.
I decided to join the fire service, which is not only the ultimate team sport, but also has the paramilitary style I knew and appreciated.
5.
A mentor had recommended me to a jurisdiction off the Gulf Coast of Mississippi that was looking to diversify the organization—I was hired as the first African American Firefighter EMT for the city.
6.
I was determined to ultimately become the fire chief, so I put myself through all of the technician courses possible and then went on to earn my bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
7.
All of my work propelled me to climb the ranks at an extraordinarily fast rate—I was only in the fire service for about five years before I became a chief officer.
8.
I went to Iraq as a civilian fire chief for the Department of Defense, served as fire chief for Lockheed Martin, then fire chief for Hartford, Connecticut, before landing in Oakland, California.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Peers:
You're only taking the fun classes. Why don't you take something hard? You can't do it.
How I responded:
Early in my career, I used to accomplish goals in order to prove people wrong. I pursued the more difficult officer classes because my colleagues told me I couldn't do it. I'd accomplish the goal so that I could show them my certification and prove them wrong. Now, I encourage other firefighters not to make that same mistake. Do things because you want to, not because of what others say to you. At the end of the day, your opinion is the only one that matters, not anyone else's.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
When I joined the fire service, I was the first African American Firefighter EMT for the city. I faced a lot of outright hate and racism. It drove me to be the best I could be so I could become chief and ensure no one ever felt the same way I had.