Veteran's Affairs Plus W/ David L. Washington

Unknown Speaker 0:00
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Outro Song 0:42
You can't see what's going on. What's going on? What's going on?

Unknown Speaker 0:55
Once again, in Las Vegas, this is Veterans Affairs plus on 91.5, jazz and more. I'm Dave Washington, your host, we got a couple of in studio, in fact, three in studio guests coming up. But prior to that, we will have a phone and guests from down in Georgia. And I'll get more into that in a moment. But once again, this is Women's History Month. And I just wanted to once again, speak about some of the ancestors Syrian night pretty Miss Mabel hole guard. These are folks who were tremendous activists within our community. Ceramic, Scott King, these are people who have done work in of course her broadly throughout the world in terms of what she's done to assist people. And I just wanted to acknowledge just a few more. This is Women's History Month once again. And with that, I'm going to have a guest that will be coming on shortly, who has done tremendous work in the industry that I did 33 years in this fire department. She is a tremendous leader, and one that I trust, you will enjoy some of the comments that she will make as we move through the second part or first part in fact, she's the first guest on this next show that we'll be having. So I thank her so very much. She is a retired fire chief. So she's coming up shortly. And with that, I'm going to say she will be here in just a few moments with that. This is Veterans Affairs plus 190 1.5, jazz and more.

Unknown Speaker 2:46
Once again, good morning. This is Veterans Affairs plus, on 91.5, jazz and more. I'm Dave Washington, your host. And I have a wonderful guest, a longtime colleague and friend of the great state of Georgia. And she was a she's a retired Fire Chief, I should say. Let's get into this. Good morning, Rosemary. How you doing? She?

Unknown Speaker 3:10
Good morning. How you doing? I'm great. Wonderful,

Unknown Speaker 3:12
wonderful. Good to hear your voice. Look, I'm gonna get right into this. You are a career firefighter, right?

Unknown Speaker 3:19
Yes, I'm a career firefighter. That's 32 years, 32 years.

Unknown Speaker 3:24
When and where did you start?

Unknown Speaker 3:27
I started in Atlanta with Atlanta Fire Department in 1980. On the on the cost of a consent agreement. Consent Decree was 22 years

Unknown Speaker 3:39
22 years with Atlanta. And then then the next move is and this is a great reason to have you here. Not only as a friend and colleague, but this is Women's History Month. And that being said, You are historical. You have the historical distinction of being the first black woman to become a fire chief and a paid professional fire department. And you served in the business overall, you say 32 years? How long did you serve as far?

Unknown Speaker 4:11
As far as Chief, I served 12 years and I still remember the day when that position was offered to me, Dave, I was so afraid. And you know, you were one of the first people that I call if I have served for 12 years at the city of East Point as the fire chief. Oh, that's likely and standing on your shoulders and your shoulders. They helped me get through that. Well,

Unknown Speaker 4:29
I'll tell you my rosemary, you did it on your own. To a great extent from the standpoint that to do 12 years as a fire chief is is sometimes very unheard of. Because I think the average lifespan is three to five, you may get five to seven, but 12 Certainly not. And it's obvious points to your leadership and those 12 years. And believe it or not, it's it's not ironic, but I kind of planned it this way because I'm one I have two distinct black women who've done tremendous work in the fire service. And I just had an eye last week show, Chief, Tony Washington, she gave she gave you glowing remarks. She say, Rosemary set me up. And she prepared me to become a fire chief. Not only that, but also the work that was done through her and others at EDI. So talk to our listening audience a little bit about that mentoring process that you that you've actually done with people. Okay,

Unknown Speaker 5:35
I'll good friend of mine. Her house was named as Tommy Dortch. He was one of the founding members of the 100 black man, okay. And we just recently lost him last week. But when he told me when I first made chief, he said, It's okay to be the first right not okay to be the only sure. And that was, that was my marching car right there. And I needed to make sure if somebody else was was done, something was gonna be done for somebody else. And people like you and chief monitor, what's the minor, you know, he was my mentor hidden Atlanta, and he kicked me out the door. And I did not want to go to East Point because I had a plum job at the airport, right? The busiest airport in the world, I was over five operations, I was assistant chief. So I didn't want to leave, you know, so, but I got kicked out the door, so to speak. And when I left there, you know, I had club walks all around my office, even even Atlanta, it was possible to have mentored me, you know, and I do believe in mentoring other people. So I'm grateful I tell everybody that I know all the other black chiefs, female chiefs in this country. I know all of them. Together, we work together, we help each other. Right. You know, that's a great thing to say to say that I know all of them, maybe I don't know all of them now, but that did at the time.

Unknown Speaker 6:44
Absolutely. And, and like I said, Chief Tony Washington, she just gave you glowing remarks as to what you did to help her, you know, in in her preparation. So that's, that's a good thing. And as you say, we must work together and ensure that because women and and again, this being Women's History Month, I just thought it was important to have some women to come on and talk about some of the achievements that they've had in this business. Just talk about the the experience as fire chief, and your career in the fire. So just in general, just give us some, because I think our audience would love to hear that.

Unknown Speaker 7:23
Just in general, you know, like when you say that, when the footprints in the sand form. When you read the footprints in the sand, I think that was what God was doing for me, because I really just did not research this thing at all. I just was looking out the window and downtown, we had a huge fight. And when I historical places, theaters, were going with the way it was played. And I was looking at my office when they fire and I saw all the sheets running around, you know, and then, you know, just amazed me that they were out there trying to help get the farm put out. And so two years later, when I heard that a little tiring, so I'll go ahead and join. I was a paralegal. My family had prepped me to go to law school. My destination, but I got married before that for I did and a paralegal. And I just decided to join us department and my family I from a large family, they have a meeting on me call the meeting to find out how are they going to intervene on me. So but you know, I look at it that this was supposed to be because, you know, for the moment I walked into that, training, a recruit, training, right, I felt like a class I was taught how to become a firefighter. And I learned that there's so many things that you can do. And if I can only exist on the three circumstances, and all you got to do is deal one of those circumstances and if I go out, but what I learned as a science, so what we do, you know, then I became motivated. And then two years later, I started to try to learn how to drive and I started driving my, my third year. So I drove for 10 years, and then I promoted to lieutenant to captain to battalion chiefs, I went up to rank. You know, once once I decided that I was gonna Let's put aside all of the all of the rumors and just study because it was always a room and some of that was true to cash. And there was, you know, given information that we didn't have, that was always the case. But once I decided no matter what I'm gonna do this, you know, and then I did I put in so many hours that it didn't matter. They did have the tip number four, and number one on the campus exam,

Unknown Speaker 9:19
right? That is interesting, because I know when I was preparing, in fact, I was telling someone today, in fact, Frank Clark has a friend of mine, who has a local business, several local businesses here today that, you know, when I was preparing, with lack of preparing when I went for fire captain, I failed the test. I got like a 6760. And I was angry, you know, and you know, my wife Marsha said, you know, yeah, women can do put things in perspective. She said, How long did you study? I'll say I say two weeks. And the air went right out of me two weeks. Okay. The next time Chief, I studied for six to eight and months, and I score like 8587. But the point is, like you say, you got to prepare yourself. And I remember speaking at Herschel services last week, I recall when I when I need to get this assistant chief position, I call Carl Holmes, Bob demons. l Nero, a friend of mine from the West Coast. And then the last one was Herschel and Herschel, say, Dave wants you to stop sniffling get up off your knees, and be better prepared next time he told me like, wow. So you know, you know how it is. Sometimes you look for sympathy, but sometimes sympathy is not not going to be there, the best thing is for you to get dumped upside up. And given the proper direction. And Herschel also shared with me, a three ring binder that he had with all of his certificates, letters of support all the training that he had gone through, and I'm like, wow, take that as a model. And that's what I did.

Unknown Speaker 10:56
Then you go, yes. And heavy hitters. Oh, yeah. Wow, that just, you know, I know heard about personal and I would love to hear you know, what? Something that in his services, right, that was everything that was recorded? I would love to hear it. Yeah. I think you had some heavy hitters. Yeah,

Unknown Speaker 11:13
I think it's, I think it's on Facebook. Okay, Chief, as we get ready to wrap up, I want I want you to give some suggestions to any young woman, black, white, or even or even the fellas but again, this is Women's History Month. What suggestion would you give in terms of what they should do if they were interested in entering the fire service,

Unknown Speaker 11:40
I would say do some research, even though I didn't do any research, you don't have to do like, at the end, there's a lot more women out there than when I first started lives. And the rest of them were the first women in the fire service in Atlanta, but do some research. And you know, look at the go talk to somebody on the fire department, there's women all over this country, all you got to do is email me or call me, you can call me anytime I'm available. I'm open. Chief Washington is open to any calls you might want to give in this, you know, we've been taught that. And so consider also doing some training, preparing for the physical agility and, and just worked with somebody who knows how to teach you to take next to everything, because there's a technique to everything. And, you know, I mean, I can, I mean, I can pass the CPAC exam with my upper body strength, but I can know how to turn a certain way that will make my give me the strength to succeed. So it's a technique to everything. So I would just say, you know, do the research. Reach out to people that are already in those positions. And you know, start training, start jogging and start working on your shift billing and stress out?

Unknown Speaker 12:47
Absolutely. What

Unknown Speaker 12:47
I was interested in, in fact, my friend, her granddaughter just started with me. I think it's Alex. Alexandra Fire Department. Yeah, so definitely, I would say that right.

Unknown Speaker 13:00
Well, chief, we thank you for your time. And certainly, we appreciate the work that you do at the Carl Holmes executive development Development Institute. I should tell you all that. Chief Rosemary cloud is one of our premier instructors. So thank you, chief. I look forward to seeing you soon.

Unknown Speaker 13:16
Thank you, sir. Appreciate it. My

Unknown Speaker 13:28
Good morning, once again, that's Veterans Affairs plus on 91.5, jazz and more. I'm getting tongue tied, I guess because I got this is Women's History Month. And in that regard, I have three wonderful women that I'm very close with. These are my daughters, starting with the oldest April. Okay. Middle Angel. Hey, Lou. And youngest, Amber. Hi, everyone. Yeah, now now we see where Karen get all his antics from. Look, again, I mentioned that this is Women's History Month. I'm going to, again, talk to you guys about a few things that I think are important. In fact, each of you, if you would, is there anyone that you look up to as a Shiro hero, in terms of a woman?

Unknown Speaker 14:22
You start anywhere, anywhere, whoever's, I would most definitely say our mother. And I would say our mother simply because you know, she's raised for strong children and successful children. And we are, I mean, of course alongside you, but since we're talking about women, heroes. She's raised a wonderful family, kids who have integrity, who has aim to do well in life and who have all achieved that goal. So I would say her

Unknown Speaker 15:03
Any other comments or regards? If you don't have anything? Let me know because you can't. I have.

Unknown Speaker 15:07
I have few I have. I have our mother. She piggybacking off Angel, she's done a great job great. And she's been a great grandmother and a great person and community, but also have three girlfriends, they really give back to the community, all entrepreneurs as Teresa Gonzales, Trina Robinson and Pandora love it. All three of these women do reentry things women that have been in prison, they've hired them in their you know, Pandora has hired her them in her restaurant. Teresa has been like a mother figure too many women pass women of the night has trained young girls, bring them in our house, teach them how to do taxes, teach them how to do filing. And I think that's a great way and Trina Robinson up. I mean, a foster parent that's out of this world. I mean, she does stuff for these children that I don't know, long as I worked. I don't know, a foster parent that do the things that she's done. And I think that's very important. Giving back to the community, because you're really helping other people.

Unknown Speaker 16:07
Unless you have something to say amburgey. Yeah,

Unknown Speaker 16:10
I was gonna say Yes, mother and my two sisters. They may not hear much from me, but they are. They're great examples of mothers, you know, they were mothers before me. And I learned a lot from them, and I appreciate them greatly. Alright,

Unknown Speaker 16:29
well, we're gonna segue into what April had mentioned, in regards to community, what have you guys done personally, you feel to grow a better community.

Unknown Speaker 16:42
I've written books, as you know, a lot of people know, to support young people, as they take this journey through life, you know, I want to encourage and inspire. And due to the work that I've done, and April does, and the things that we've seen, sometimes in our own family, some people don't feel loved. And I just feel like I've been put here to spread that message, that no matter what they may or may not feel in their home, they may or may not feel supported, and appreciated, I do want to let them know that in spite of that they are still loved. So that's a lot of my community work. And I also have gone out into the community and spoken to young girls just trying to make sure that they stay on the right path. Great.

Unknown Speaker 17:44
As far as my community work, I'm a very, very, very large advocate of children being left in vehicles. Whether the summer whether the fall, whether the spring or whether the winter, a lot of children die that way. So I've taken that by the horns and ran with it also wrote a book dedicated to your mom based on fire safety, what you taught us as children, when you would have the little movies and stuff and invite the neighborhood kids over teach them about fire safety, while Tibetan decided to take your story and write about it to teach other children around the world about that. I love working for the community. You know, answering my phone at two o'clock in the morning people talking about their homeless, I'm like, Okay, I'm sleep. But yes, all about helping other people. I think that's my ministry. I get in trouble at work, because I do too much. But it's okay. Like if it's on my heart.

Unknown Speaker 18:41
All right.

Unknown Speaker 18:42
I'm the heart Amer,

Unknown Speaker 18:44
I would just say, I'm a behind the scenes type person. So all I can say is I just pray. Okay,

Unknown Speaker 18:51
prayer is important.

Unknown Speaker 18:52
But you've also but you've also fed the homeless, you know, and that is that means a lot to people, you know what I mean, when they don't know where their next meal is coming from? It means a lot to know that someone cares enough because we know that the government don't want you to feed, it's now against the law to feed the homeless, which is insane and absurd. So don't discount what you've done, because that matters.

Unknown Speaker 19:17
Does absolutely great point. So if there was anything you could do to add or make the school district a better educational institute, Clark County School District, what would be your suggestion? Anyone?

Unknown Speaker 19:35
Parent involvement is one. You know, I think today's school is like a babysitting service. The parents don't want to get involved parents want to that really they want that they want the school to be responsible to buy the girls sanitary stuff. They want the kids to school to be responsible to make sure the kids have deodorant. Nobody wants to nobody wants to take a I take the role of being a parent. I mean, I piggybacked off human destiny and David God, and I had to go out, leave my job, I'm sitting there looking in the hallway, like, you know, and then I see them tears rolling down. If I told you, I don't want to leave my job, if parents would just go to school in act like you care about your child's education, I think that will make that will help some,

Unknown Speaker 20:25
well, maybe they could, I don't know, they may already exist, but maybe they could do some kind of parenting training or something else. It ain't easy to be an au pair. And I'm saying this with the experience of all for y'all. Which brother, every game thing, the angel,

Unknown Speaker 20:41
I think that we need to appreciate our staff more and pay them what they're worth.

Unknown Speaker 20:48
I agree with that. I

Unknown Speaker 20:49
think that it is extremely disrespectful to disregard the need to pay a person, what they're entitled to be paid. We so many entities are top heavy. And you know, they have these people making six and seven figure salaries. And they believe that those who support them as a relates to staff are only support staff, meaning that it's like a down, right, it's a downgraded position or or career. And I just don't think that's fair. I just think that if you pay a person what they are worth, then they may produce more. They be they may more take more of an interest in what they're doing. I know that if I'm on my job, and you're not making me feel like I'm worthy of what you're giving me plus what I'm owed, right, you might get a lackluster performance. Amber,

Unknown Speaker 21:49
anything? Well,

Unknown Speaker 21:52
my kids haven't been in public school. But I think this goes for both public and private education for blacks so that every other race can know about what we've gone through what we've experienced, and needs to be taught just like any other subject.

Unknown Speaker 22:13
We know this. That's a big, big controversy. I can tell you guys, many many years ago when I served on this committee with Missy lane, we and I just call her the landlord. But you know, I got associate's degree, and I'm in this room with all these PhDs, and they battled for like an hour and a half. We can't We can't go for 100% graduation of school. That's insane. I listened to them Go banter back and forth. I raised my hand. I got four children. Now which one of y'all go to me? I should give one of them up and go for 75% graduation. I'm going for 100. Everybody shut up. We're going for 100 They still haven't made 100 I think they're in that high? 80s Maybe 90s. Now, but the bottom line is the question. The other question I asked was, how many of you guys go take an exam and say, Oh, if I get 75 I'm good. You shoot for 100 You may not you may not score 100. But I thought it was insane. And again, y'all know I used to get nobody calls they got a higher education to me. They don't mean a thing. So And to your point, Andrew, I spoke to miss ship and several other teachers last week. And and I told him, I said and I've said this many, many times. When I was wearing my full dress uniform with my balls sitting over there. teachers are underpaid. And we as American as a nation, we should be ashamed. Absolutely. Because ain't no fire chiefs, no police chiefs no doctors, no lawyers without educators. Yeah. And for them to be steady having a part time to Are you kidding me? Right? Because I know teachers and Miss ship and empty she was going just like to someone have taken homework, they ain't got no homework. They taken your work home to grade it because he didn't have enough time in the day. And I true to believe April two that parenting in parent involvement in the education system is an absolute must. So cool. I mean, yah, yah added great value to that. And I hope that our listening audience to include veterans and others, I have an appreciation for that need for us to be actively involved in our education system. Let me ask you if there is a favorite persons whose career you would like to follow, who is it and what's the career for you?

Unknown Speaker 24:42
If it is, so I'm gonna be honest. Last night, I thought, you know, if one of us would have went to the fire service, that probably would have been really cool for daddy. You know, just to follow in, you know what I mean? One of us even One two grandchildren, I just think that would be that will just I think that will just be so cool. Even though the three of us thought about being fire inspectors at one time. That would have been a good that would have been to see you go from riding on the back of the fire engine holding on to the back of the thing, you know, holding on to the back of that, that bar on the back and then running into department. That was just I mean, that was that was a great accomplishment

Unknown Speaker 25:29
on their skills among young people. grandkids that could still follow

Unknown Speaker 25:38
suit. Any other thoughts on it?

Unknown Speaker 25:41
Well, to answer your question, I will say that there is not a career field that I've ever wanted. As you know, you have artsy children, right? We are, you know, actors and dancers and singers like, I don't think that where we've ended up is what we intended for our lives. Our degrees are for you. And mom, I think I can speak for all of them first. I think I wouldn't say that. Yeah, no, I'm saying I mean, it's not something that we're not proud of. I'm not saying that. But what I'm saying is, if I would have had my chosen path, it would have certainly been in the arts one way or another, whether performing one way or another. I don't think that there's a still today, like, my career is where I landed. It's not something I select, well, y'all

Unknown Speaker 26:37
know this, I landed too. So I'm surprised or me and Marsha, those degrees? Got me laughing. Yup, is the truth. Okay, it's true. But look, I know, we're going to be getting close to time here. So my question to you now is, what would you what is it you might want for your own child, child or children, as they go through life?

Unknown Speaker 27:02
Me in particular, I want my kids to just be happy and successful, whatever role that is, what whatever makes them happy is what I want from them. Because I just believe that when you force a young person into doing something that something that is not going to make them unhappy, I mean, make them happy, they will eventually blame you. You know, for whatever road they chose, chose, even if they're successful, some people are doctors that didn't want to be doctors. True. You know, they had a dream, but they chase the dream for someone else living by when parents are living vicariously through their kids. So as far as I'm concerned, as long as my kids are happy and successful, and I don't have to pay no bail, I'm good.

Unknown Speaker 27:48
I would just say I want mine to follow their dream. Just don't start something without finishing it. Right? Because I'm one that starts we've all

Unknown Speaker 28:01
done stuff like that to include myself. And your mom is on me constantly. Now she's dragging me through the mud on her on a patio cover that she needs. Go ahead April then we're gonna give you guys some closing remarks. I want

Unknown Speaker 28:14
them to keep keep golfers most important. But I want them to I want them to succeed. I know they both want to be entrepreneurs. I want them to succeed as long as it's something legal. Because I Okay, okay. I can put the house up and I can save you from everything. I talked to him about that. Don't do anything stupid, cuz I'm not gonna always be able to save you. Well,

Unknown Speaker 28:36
closing remarks, you probably got about 20 seconds each maybe closing remarks. And I appreciate you guys coming in. You're my, my daughters, me and Matias daughters. We're very, very proud of you all. And we all know we love y'all. Even though sometimes we have differences of opinion on different issues, etc. But that's life lives. And I pray for you all the time. Same thing you mentioned it. I want my children, Lord, let them be happy.

Unknown Speaker 29:04
Yeah, just continue to every one. Every one out there. If you don't know the Lord, fine. And Lord, my kids serve the Lord. You can't go wrong when you serve and lower, nothing can go just go to

Unknown Speaker 29:19
love one another and pray for one another and be there for one another because right now the way this world is going, we don't know where we're gonna be tomorrow. So we just all have to stick together. You know, driving down the street to see homeless people you wonder first thing I say we as a family, you know, you know, some of them don't want to come in but why don't they want to come? You know? So you just have to stick together.

Unknown Speaker 29:41
Ditto to my sisters what they said I echo their sentiments and also, I want to take this opportunity to congratulate you on a successful show that has been running for quite some time and we are very appreciative of the invite. It

Unknown Speaker 29:57
is my pleasure to have you guys you did a great job. up and I want to encourage people again this is Veterans Affairs plus on 91.5 Jazz and more to contact Tony Marshal. He's our service officer if you have any issues 301-537-9465 Tony Marshall he's a service officer for American Legion Post team and I want to once again always thank my man West because he keeps me track and track and tracking. Thanks with so we'll talk to you all next month

Unknown Speaker 30:29
bye bye.

Outro Song 31:00
All the smoke in the cylinder Hey, when they step on the way

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