Perspectives LEANING IN FIRE SERVICE IN RECENT YEARS, DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION HAVE BECOME PRIORITIES-AND BUZZWORDS-FOR FIRE CHIEFS AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. ARE THESE EFFORTS ACHIEVING RESULTS? WHAT DOES SUCCESS EVEN LOOK LIKE? KWAME COOPER, FDNY'S NEW CHIEF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION OFFICER, WEIGHS IN. Interview conducted and edited by Jesse Roman Black FDNY firefighters prepare for an African American Day parade in Harlem. Black and Hispanic members make up about 20 percent of the department's uniformed firefighters, while residents of those groups comprise nearly 40 percent of the city's population. 42 | NFPA JOURNAL * SUMMER 2023