Black History Month spotlight – Assistant Chief Mickey Folsom

February 1, 2023

“We will all, at some point, encounter hurdles to gaining access and entry, moving up and conquering self-doubt; but on the other side is the capacity to own opportunity and tell our own story.” —Stacey Abrams

Like so many others, a young Mickey Folsom found himself in need of a job but wasn’t interested in a traditional 9-5. He applied to the Columbia Richland Fire Department and quickly realized this was more than a job–this was his passion.

“It felt divine that the fire service chose me,” he said.

Fast forward a few decades and that same young man is now Assistant Chief, overseeing Columbia fire’s Administrative Division. His list of responsibilities is daunting, including overseeing of a $40+ million-dollar budget, supervising personnel in aspects of emergency scene activities, implementing administrative strategy, and tackling any day-to-day problem that comes his way in a department of several hundred members.

February is Black History Month and Chief Folsom, chair of the Association’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee, refers to it as a time of reflection.

“If we don’t improve on the history, if we don’t improve where we come from or where we’ve been, then sometimes history repeats itself,” Folsom said. “It shines a light on what we can do for the future without forgetting the past.”

Firefighters train rigorously for every possible eventuality on the fireground. Muscle memory is important and training is vital. Learning how to become comfortable having intentional conversations about uncomfortable topics, in contrast, requires a different way of thinking, one that comes with no manual, no standards.

That phrase—intentional conversations—is important to Chief Folsom and one that he keeps coming back to. Being intentional about the words we use, our demeanor, our tone, all help break down barriers because at the end of the day, "we’re all more alike than we are different."

“As firefighters, we go straight to a fire and know what to do,” Folsom continues, “But for us to be a better community, for us to give the community better service, then we have to have those conversations to say, ‘Okay, are we including everyone?’”