Cincinnati Fire Department makes history with first black female fire captain

By: Madeline Ottilie CINCINNATI — A fire captain with the Cincinnati Fire Department is making history as the department’s first-ever Black female fire captain. “Humbled, to say the least,” said Capt. Alexis Mundy. “Just immensely blessed.” At 32, Mundy is also the youngest woman ever in the department to claim the rank. “For African American women especially, even entering the fire service is very tumultuous,” she said. Department officials said CFD has a few dozen captains. Three are women. Mundy had originally hoped to become a flight nurse, but while training to be a paramedic she began training at a fire station. “At one point, they were like, ‘You should just take the fire test and just see what happens,’” she said. Mundy worked her way up from firefighter to lieutenant. She was officially promoted to captain in late January 2024. “There’s a lot of time and effort that goes into studying to get promoted,” she said, detailing hours spent between runs reviewing flashcards and textbooks to climb the ranks. “It is really an intensive process,” she said. “It’s not for the faint of heart.” District Chief John Davis Jr., who has worked alongside Mundy for years, said she’s a...