TOLEDO, Ohio — The Toledo Fire and Rescue Department has a new chief, Allison Armstrong, who's making Toledo history as the first female chief of Toledo Fire and Rescue. She will replace former Chief Brian Byrd, who has been appointed the city's public safety director.
"I'm excited for the opportunity to lead, empower, and support the men and women of the fire department," Armstrong, 42, said.
After the announcement Tuesday, Armstrong said she believes Chief Byrd left the fire department in good shape and while she intends to make some changes they will be more tweaks than sweeping changes.
She intends for her leadership to be defined by working to solve the issues faced by her fellow firefighters, Armstrong said.
Kapszukiewicz said that the search for new leadership started immediately following Byrd's departure at the end of November. The mayor said he considered candidates from inside and outside the fire department, but Armstrong stood out from the pack.
"Allison just had a mix of life experiences, education, little parts of her resume, just things that she has done in her 21 years on the fire department that made us think she was the best choice," Kapszukiewicz said.
While Kapszukiewicz said while the new chief was chosen on merit, it is noteworthy that the choice is historic for Toledo. The mayor pointed out that only a few decades ago no women served on TFRD, and now the department will have its first female chief.
In 2018, the mayor passed over then-Assistant Chief Karen Marquardt for the chief's job when he hired Byrd instead. Marquardt filed a complaint with the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, alleging that she was denied the promotion and subjected to harassment because of her gender.
The commission determined that it was likely the fire department and city discriminated against Marquardt. The Kapszukiewicz administration denies this and in 2020 Toledo City Council approved a $68,500 settlement in the case. Marquardt retired in late 2021.
Armstrong says that recruitment in particular is an issue she plans to address during her time as chief, focusing on creating a larger and more diverse workplace.
Armstrong has served the department for 21 years as a firefighter, paramedic, and battalion chief. Armstrong says that when the mayor called her last week to offer her the promotion, it was an emotional moment.
"It was almost surreal, I mean there were a lot of good candidates, I think I'm probably the most junior one out of that group, but it was extremely flattering, I'm honored, I'm grateful, I'm excited," Chief Armstrong said.
While Chief Armstrong says that overall the fire department is in good shape, she says the department still struggles with a lack of staffing and an increasing number of calls for help. She says she intends to talk with her staff in the coming days to begin working on a plan to solve these issues.
"What I would like to do is check in with all the deputies and see how we're doing things, what are we doing well, what can be improved upon, and then we find the things that can be improved upon and starting to prioritize them and begin chipping away at those things," she said.
The official swearing-in ceremony for the new chief will be on Feb. 4.