Charlotte's new Fire Chief Reginald Johnson was sworn into office Monday morning. Johnson comes from Fairfax, Virginia, where he was the assistant fire chief.
Johnson is the 17th chief to serve in a department that’s over 130 years old. He is also the first black permanent chief. After Johnson took the oath of office, he spoke about his plans to make the department a good place to work for all people.
“A place where harassment, discrimination, bullying and retaliation will not be tolerated but will be replaced with respect, communication and transparency," Johnson said.
Johnson will replace Pete Key, who has been the interim chief following the retirement of former Fire Chief Jon Hannan. Hannan stepped aside last summer amid controversy after a jury concluded that the fire department retaliated against a former fire investigator. The former employee was awarded nearly $1.5 million.
Stay informed: Sign up for The Frequency newsletter and get WFAE headlines in your inbox every weekday.