NHFD Appoints First Female Asst. Chief

When Shakira Samuel was growing up in Westville/West Hills, she didn’t think the helping professions — teaching, nursing, library work — to which little girls were traditionally directed might include the fire service.

Roll the clock ahead a few decades, and on Friday afternoon in a special meeting of the Board of Fire Commissioners, Samuel was voted the first ever female assistant chief in the history of the New Haven Fire Department.

And as the new Assistant Chief for Administration, one of her goals is to shake heaven and earth education and recruitment-wise to bring more women into the department.

By a unanimous vote held via Zoom, the commissioners approved the appointment, at the recommendation of Fire Chief John Alston. Samuel has worked for the city’s fire department for 22 years, including 15 years as a line firefighter and most recently as Deputy Fire Marshal.

There are currently only 17 women among the 316 serving fighters, down 60 positions in total according to Assistant Chief for Operations Daniel Coughlin, who was in Samuel’s class at the fire training academy 22 years ago.

Filling those positions and also addressing the serious chronic shortage of paramedics will be high on the list of Samuel’s priorities, along with issues dealing with budgeting, policy, union relations, purchasing, and all aspects of recruitment.

“Recruitment for women will be a priority,” Samuel said in a brief interview after the vote. 

While she has already been actively out in the community over recent years, ​“bringing knowledge about the paramedic training programs” to young people, especially women, such as the program Yale New Haven Hospital operates, is going to be one of the newer routes she’ll be promoting to begin a career with NHFD.

After an internal and external search, Samuel was selected, said Chief Alston, not only because of her experience, professional test scores, and skills, but also because ​“her heart and sincerity speaks volumes to me and her commitment to help people,” Alston added.

Coughlin, who knew Samuel as a rookie in their academy class #52 in 2002, described her as quiet, firm, modest, fair and ​“what I particularly like about Shakira is her consistency. What you see is what you get in everything she does.”

Prior to Samuel, the assistant chief of administration was Orlando Marcano, then Justin McCarthy, and Justin Bialecki, and the position has been vacant since November 2023.

Alston and Coughlin both said Samuel’s work administering the Fire Marshall’s office has been impressive. They cited streamlining operations, resolving arson investigations more expeditiously, and also how Samuel’s style and personality (she has a tendency to organize spontaneous potluck lunches) have also increased morale in the department.

“She’s going to be a stellar addition to the team,” said Alston.

“I’ll make you proud,” Samuel said immediately after the vote. 

And then she added. ​“I do miss being a line firefighter, the sense of family, eating together, the good calls, the tragic calls, all so rewarding. The fire house was my second family.”

With her new, more visible, and historic appointment, Samuel hopes to help make it so for others, especially young women.