Mayor Wu has appointed longtime Boston Fire Department veteran Rodney Marshall as the city’s 45th fire commissioner, elevating a Dorchester native with more than three decades of service to the department’s top post.
Marshall, who joined the department in 1991 and currently serves as chief of operations for support services, is expected to be sworn in later this month, city sources told the Reporter.
The mayor is expected to announce his appointment at a press conference this morning at the Blue Hill Boys and Girls Club on Talbot Avenue in Dorchester.
In a statement to the Reporter,Wu praised Marshall’s leadership and deep roots in the city, calling him “exceptionally qualified” to lead Boston’s firefighters.
Rodney Marshall, front row right, will be Boston’s next fire commissioner. City of Boston photo by Isabel Leon
“As a distinguished and deeply respected 35-year veteran of the Boston Fire Department, Deputy Chief Rodney Marshall is exceptionally qualified to lead the brave men and women of Boston Fire who put their lives on the line to keep our communities safe,” Wu said. “As a lifelong Bostonian, he knows our communities, has demonstrated his leadership on the job, and has devoted his career to serving and protecting our residents.”
Marshall, a graduate of Boston College, will succeed Commissioner Paul Burke, whom Wu thanked for “strong and steady leadership” over nearly four years.
“I want to thank Mayor Wu for the privilege of leading the Department that has shaped my life and career,” Marshall said in a statement. “As a proud son of Dorchester, I joined the Boston Fire Department because I wanted to give back to the communities where I grew up.”
Marshall’s career began at Engine 56 in East Boston. He rose through the ranks, earning promotions to lieutenant in 1998, captain in 2005, district chief in 2014, and deputy chief in 2022. Along the way, he received two Commissioner’s Unit Citations, including recognition for rescuing residents during a six-alarm fire and for saving passengers trapped in a severely damaged bus.
Marshall is also credited with helping to expand diversity in the department by designing and launching its cadet program, which creates pathways for young city residents to pursue firefighting careers.
“I’m committed to supporting the firefighters and staff who work every day to keep Boston’s neighborhoods safe,” Marshall said.
