New Columbia assistant fire chief hopes to diversify department

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Clayon Farr Jr. was named the Columbia Fire Department's new assistant fire chief on Jan. 10.

Farr has been with the Columbia Fire Department for 23 years and has continued to move up the ranks. And during much of his career, he's been one of the only minorities in the firehouse.

"Sometimes being a man of color you're the only person who looks like you, who does what you do, who can do what you do,'' Farr said Tuesday. "And sometimes that comes as a significant challenge to others and I think I have been able to remain professional, do my job and be very consistent doing that." Farr said.

According to a 2018 study by the National Fire Protection Association, American firehouses are 82% white and 96% male.

Farr first started his journey as a firefighter when he was 16 years old by volunteering with a local fire department. After his volunteer work, he attended the University of Missouri to study electrical engineering.

Farr became a 911 operator for the City of Columbia's Public Safety Joint Communications after graduating and trained to be a police officer, becoming the first Black officer in the city of Ashland once certified in 1993. He then spent a few years on the Springfield, Missouri, fire department before joining the Columbia department.

He has steadily climbed the career ladder here. Since coming to Columbia, Farr has been a firefighter, a fire marshal, a lieutenant, a battalion chief, a division chief and finally, assistant fire chief.

Farr says he didn't know what he wanted to do while growing up but he knew he wanted to help people and make an impact.

"My progression through the ranks from being a volunteer, to the 911 center, a police officer, I think that made me well rounded to look at my surroundings and to think about the community first and our other staff before myself," he said.

Farr says his skin color has been his biggest challenge while moving up the ranks.

Farr says as assistant chief he will focus heavily on diversity in the fire department and one way to do that is recruitment.

"We need more diversification of our workforce and I think that just brings in more ideas of the community that we serve," Farr said.

To find these recruits, Farr says the fire department has to go where they are.

"Black churches, schools, Lincoln University, colleges, a trade school -- we have to get out of our comfort zone and go to where they are," Farr said.

Being a man of color can help him connect with those recruits, Farr said.

Click here for more about how to join the Columbia Fire Department.

Check back here and watch ABC 17 News at 6:30 for more on this developing story.