Merritt College would like to congratulate Mr. Damon Covington, who works as a faculty member in Merritt College’s Fire Sciences and Emergency Medical Technician department. Merritt is proud to share that last month he was appointed as Oakland’s new Interim Fire Chief! Chief Covington joined the Oakland Fire Department back in 2001 as a firefighter/paramedic. He served as president of the Oakland Black Firefighters Association from 2016 to 2022 and has taught courses at Merritt for the past seven years. Additionally, last summer Felicia Wanzo-Bryant, another Merritt faculty member, was sworn in as the first woman to serve as Fire Marshal for the City of Oakland. Suffice it to say, there are big things happening in Merritt’s Fire/EMT Department!

This article was included in the July 26, 2023 Merritt College President's Report. To view the full report, click here.