Prince George’s County appoints first Black female bomb tech as new fire chief
New fire chief in Prince George's County
Thelmetria "Meme" Michaelides, will take over as chief in Prince George's County.
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. - Prince George's County is getting a new fire chief, County Executive Aisha Braveboy announced at a news conference Monday.
Thelmetria "Meme" Michaelides, will take over as chief, Braveboy said.
What they're saying:
"As chief I won’t have all the solutions," Michaelides told reporters. "But I will empower and challenge command staff, and all men and women of Prince George's County Fire and EMS Department."
Michaelides said she worked for the department for 26 years in various roles, starting off as a dispatcher in 1987. She eventually went on to become a paramedic inside the department, then went on to become a bomb technician. She’s lived in the county for 47 years.
Michaelides said she’ll spend her first several weeks on the job assembling her command staff and doing a full evaluation of the department’s needs going forward, she said. She was the department’s first female bomb tech, Braveboy said, and also the first African American female bomb tech in the state of Maryland.
Chair of County Council Edward Burroughs told reporters he believes their new chief will be an inspiration.
"If you heard Chief Meme's story, from dispatcher to now chief, it’s a beautiful one," he said. "And I believe your story will be an inspiration to all of Prince George’s county residents, that you too can start out as a dispatcher, she said she was nervous up here I find that interesting because she can diffuse a bomb," he said to a room full of laughter.
Big picture view:
Michaelides' appointment comes just after Braveboy, who was only sworn in this June, appointed both a new police chief and interim superintendent of schools.
The outgoing Fire Chief, Tiffany Green will continue to serve in Prince George’s County, Braveboy said. She’ll now move into a new role as the County’s assistant public safety director.