The first Black female captain of the Los Angeles Fire Department received commendations Tuesday for her service spanning over three decades.
d’Lisa Davies, who retired from the fire department in 2015, was recognized during a LA Board of Fire Commissioners meeting for her contributions to equal career opportunities within the fire service and representing women in the African American community.
“This is why we’re here,” said Fire Chief Kristin M. Crowley, pointing to Davies. “I wanna focus on you and your legacy.”
Davies joined the LAFD in 1984 after serving in the military as a telecommunication specialist.
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Davies said her a-ha moment came after witnessing a physical extrication, where firefighters cut open a vehicle to remove the passenger inside.
"I grew up with my dad working on cars and my uncles in construction," Davies recalled. "I saw that rolling tool box. I got excited, so I put in the application."
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Davies went on to spend the first 22 years combating fires in the areas of South LA, Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights and Highland Park. She was then assigned to the Recruitment Unit designed to provide outreach programs to assist in mentoring potential recruits for the LAFD.
According to the California Firefighters Joint Apprenticeship Committee, she helped develop programs, including the mentoring program, mock oral interview preparation, CPAT simulated practice and testing, military recruitment, the literature transition program and the high school outreach program.
Her work specifically focused on recruiting women and underrepresented communities. In 2005, Davies was nominated to the California Professional Firefighters Committee to recruit women into the fire service.
After she was promoted to captain in 2009, Davies served in the Bureau of Fire Prevention and Safety, supervising the Legal Liaison Unit and the Environmental Unit. She would later retire in October 2015 after 31 years of public service.
Davies still provides mentoring support for the LAFD Youth Metro Fire Academy and continues to share her experience and advice for future generations of firefighters.
"This is overwhelming for me," Davies said. "I just wanna tell everybody thank you and for letting me be a part of this fire department."
