Thursday is a historic day in Douglas County. The fire department sworn Roderick Jolivette into office as its first Black fire chief.
Jolivette previously served as fire chief in Cairo, Georgia and Manchester, Georgia. He has 37 years of firefighting experience.
Thursday’s ceremony has been a year in the making.
The department originally hired Jolivette in Jan. 2021, but COVID-19 kept pushing the ceremony back.
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Before his fire career, Jolivette served in the United States Navy in the nuclear submarines division and earned a honorable discharge in 1985.
He holds degrees from Albany Technical College, Albany State University and Columbus State University.
Jolivette married Lavonda Jolivette. The couple shares four children and five grandchildren.
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