A historic moment unfolded in the town of Hamden Friday morning, as Shelly L. Carter was sworn in as the first woman and person of color to serve as the town鈥檚 Fire Chief.
Claps and cheers filled Hamden Town Hall along with singing from her son Miles Wilson-Toliver.
These achievements are hardly Carter鈥檚 first, firsts. She made history as the first Black female Captain in Suppression for the Hartford Fire Department and the first Black woman to be a fire chief in all of New England with the Southbury Department.
Surprisingly, Carter never expected to become a firefighter. She was walking down the street in Hartford one day when a lieutenant asked her if she had ever considered becoming a firefighter. That question sparked a 26-year-long career.
Though she didn鈥檛 always dream of joining the fire service, Carter always knew she would be a leader.
鈥淢y mom was a Pentecostal preacher, a pastor, and she required that her daughters got up in front and spoke and ran programs and created platforms for the church,鈥� Carter said. 鈥淎nd so it was kind of natural, normal for me to be a leader.鈥�
Carter鈥檚 mother offered a prayer for her daughter at the ceremony Friday afternoon. Despite her ambitious personality, it took ten years of service for Carter to realize that she wanted to be a chief.
鈥淚 kind of put my head down and had to learn the language of the fire service,鈥� Carter said. 鈥淎nd once I got my feet under me, I realized that, wait a minute, I can lead here too.鈥�
But these years allowed Carter to learn the service inside and out. The only department job she hasn鈥檛 held is a mechanic. She says if she was taught how to be a mechanic, she would have been in the machine shop in an instant.
Outside of the firehouse, Carter has worked to ensure that she is not the last Black woman to hold her position. In 2015, she founded .
The camp offers firefighting and emergency services training to young women ages 13-18. Students learn how to perform CPR and use an automated external defibrillator. They are also taught how to investigate arson.
The camp inspires young women to advocate for themselves in the field of public safety, according to Joan Hurley, a camp organizer.
鈥淐hief Carter has had an incredible impact on gender affirming inclusion in firefighting and emergency services," Hurley said. "It's incredibly important for young women to be able to consider careers in firefighting and emergency services, and they're often redirected when they express interest."
Chief Carter hopes the camp will inspire girls to look into public safety careers from a younger age, something she didn鈥檛 have the chance to do.
鈥淚t took 28 years on this planet for me to realize that the fire service was a thing. I believe that if I was told this information at 14, that I would have been the chief 10 years ago.鈥�
But her message to young women goes beyond just firefighting.
鈥淲hether it is the fire service or becoming a pilot or becoming a plumber or whatever a young woman chooses that she wants to do in her life, I say, try it and you never know, one day you might be running the whole thing like I am,鈥� Carter said.
Carter鈥檚 ceremony sparked inspiration amongst women of color already in the industry as well.
Montique Pettway-Moore, a Captain at the Bridgeport Fire Department, says Carter has been a powerful mentor throughout her career.
鈥淎s she opens this door and walks through, I'm looking forward to her holding the door open for me so that I can come through. So I'm very inspired by today. It's a powerful moment to experience history being made and not read about it, but live it,鈥� says Pettway-Moore.
In terms of Hamden, Carter has priorities for her tenure. Her main points of focus include community engagement, community safety and preparedness, and a focus on technology. Carter understands that technology is the future, and believes Hamden鈥檚 fire department could keep even more people safe with its inclusion.
鈥淚 want to be able to bring the community into the Hampton Fire Department via video, via information on our social media, making sure the community knows what we're doing every day and how we are protecting them.鈥�
Overall, Carter aims to strengthen the department鈥檚 relationship with residents of Hamden and ensure that firefighters get to go home safely to their families everyday.
鈥淭he whole idea is to let the community know that whoever rolls up at your house on possibly the worst day of your life, possibly at a fire, that there's somebody on that apparatus that understands and can communicate with you.鈥�
