Oklahoma City’s First Black Fire Chief | Oklahoma City News

Oklahoma City welcomes its first Black Fire Chief, Derrick Kiel, who begins his historic role on October 1, 2026 — after 27 years of service and climbing every rank in the department. With a $225 million budget and four major divisions to oversee, Kiel brings deep institutional knowledge, academic training from the University of Oklahoma, and a clear vision for safety, culture, and community trust as he steps into the shoes of retiring Chief Richard Kelley. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/62d036feaf77e9e1