First African American El Paso fire chief reflects on Black History Month

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- El Paso Fire Chief Jonathan Killings was appointed to his new position in December of 2022. He is the first person of African descent to serve in that position. He sat down to speak with ABC-7 this Black History Month.

Chief Killings started with the El Paso Fire Department in 1998. He served in numerous positions in the years since then, eventually becoming a battalion chief in 2016. He was named El Paso's interim fire chief when Mario D'Agostino left the position to become a deputy city manager in 2022.

In our interview, Chief Killings opened up about his family's history fighting against oppression, his experience growing up and living in El Paso, and his conversations about race with his children.

Chief Killings says he hopes to use his experience as a minority to enact change in the department. He is focusing on bringing more women into the department, saying they bring a fresh perspective currently missing from the fire service.