PORTLAND, Ore. — Sara Boone, chief of Portland Fire & Rescue, will retire from the agency next month, according to a statement released Thursday.
Boone was appointed chief in 2019 by then-Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty following the abrupt resignation of Mike Myers from the role. Boone was both the first Black female firefighter with PF&R and the first Black chief.
She joined the agency as a firefighter back in 1995, moving up the ranks in PF&R's Emergency Operations division and earning promotions to lieutenant, then captain, then battalion chief, followed by bureau safety chief. She also served as deputy chief of the Logistics/Management Services division and division chief of Medical Services & Training.
Boone's tenure as chief straddled the COVID-19 pandemic, civil unrest amid the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, record-breaking wildfires in Oregon and a mounting humanitarian crisis on Portland's streets.
“Together we have experienced some of the most challenging times in the history of Portland Fire,” said Boone in a statement. “Considering all that we’ve faced over the past four years, I couldn’t be prouder and more honored to have closed out my career by leading one of the nation’s premier fire agencies.”
Under Boone's leadership, the Portland Fire Bureau launched both the Community Health Assess & Treat program and took on Portland Street Response.
“As we bid farewell to Chief Sara Boone, let us acknowledge the formidable path she has walked for others to follow," said Commissioner Rene Gonzalez, who took over the Portland Fire Bureau from Hardesty. "Making history as Portland's first African American female fire chief, she has steered our fire bureau through the most difficult moments in living memory. To Chief Boone we extend our gratitude for her years of sacrifice and selfless commitment to the Portland Fire Bureau. As her duty comes to an end, a legacy of excellence and resilience remains.”
PF&R said that Gonzalez has named Ryan Gillespie as interim fire chief. He'll stay in the role until the new city administrator takes over Portland's agencies in 2025.
“No one is better prepared than Chief Gillespie to successfully lead the Fire Bureau into the City of Portland’s next phase," Gonzalez said. "We entrust Portland Fire & Rescue in his experienced and steady hands, knowing he will carry the torch of excellence forward with resolve and innovation.”
Gillespie has been with PF&R since 1998, working his way up from firefighter to division chief. Following Myers' retirement in 2019, Gillespie served as interim chief for six months until Boone's appointment.
Boone's retirement becomes effective July 12, according to PF&R.
