Deputy Fire Chief Leon Henderson sworn in as Akron's new chief

Lina Portman4 weeks ago

0 2 minutes read

Akron has a new fire chief.

Deputy Chief Leon Henderson was sworn in Friday morning, Mayor Shammas Malik's office announced. Henderson succeeds Joseph Natko, who retired in March when he was named assistant to the mayor for emergency management.

“It is the honor of my professional career to serve” as Akron’s fire chief, Henderson said. “Vince Lombardi once said, 'A person's quality of life is directly proportional to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.' 'It is a true privilege to serve the Akron community, as well as the firefighters/EMTs and administrative staff of our department.

With his promotion, Henderson becomes the city's second black fire chief.

Henderson joins the Mayor's Cabinet and will oversee and direct all activities of the Akron Fire Department, including disaster planning, emergency medical services, rescue and code enforcement.

Malik called Henderson “a dedicated public servant with 34 years of service to the Akron community. He has the attitude, skills and leadership qualities we were looking for in this position. We have an outstanding fire department and I look forward to seeing how it continues. grow and prosper under the leadership of Chef Henderson”

Malik also thanked Deputy Chief Steven Kaut for serving as interim chief during the search process, saying Kaut's “service and leadership have been invaluable throughout this transition.”

The city announced it would hold an inauguration ceremony in the coming weeks.

Residents will have the chance to meet Henderson, ask questions and hear about his vision for the department during a public community meeting at 5:30 p.m. July 10 at the Akron Summit Public Library, 60 S. High St.

New fire chief has a history of fostering diversity within the fire service

Henderson, an Akron Garfield High School graduate and U.S. Army veteran, began his career with Akron Fire in 1990 as a firefighter/paramedic.

He served as a dispatch supervisor lieutenant and safety officer captain before joining the department's top ranks as district chief in 2018 and deputy chief in 2022. As deputy chief, the mayor's office noted in the release, Henderson helped promote diversity within the department, achieving a historic minority recruiting rate of 44% in the Class of 2024. He also worked on the Racial Equity and Social Justice Task Force of the City of Akron and started the Akron Fire Department Human Relations Committee.

Lina Portman

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