After months of late nights studying and extra hours spent training in the field, the Clark County Department’s first African-American female fire engineer was honored at a ceremony Friday morning.
Surrounded by friends, families and colleagues at a fire station on Flamingo Road near UNLV, Jennifer Osborne was recognized by Chief Bertral Washington.
Osborne, 36, has spent the last six years with the department working as a firefighter and paramedic. As engineer, Osborne, 36, will be responsible for driving the fire trucks, operating the ladder and connecting hoses to the fire hydrants and pumps.
“When I was growing up as a little girl I didn’t even know firefighter was an opportunity for me. I became a paramedic and one of the firefighters who worked in the station with our ambulance encouraged me. I started looking into it and I got really passionate about it,” Osborne said. “I think general visibility of women and minorities in the fire service, letting people know we are here, is a positive thing…it lets them know that choice is available to them if they want to pursue it.”
Also honored Friday morning at the ceremony Darren Morville, a 10-year veteran of the department, who was promoted to captain.
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