TAMPA, Fla. — If you had asked Chief Barbara Tripp where her career would take her, she never would have pictured being in the top office of Tampa Fire Rescue.

What You Need To Know

  • Chief Barbara Tripp made history as Tampa's first female fire chief in June 2021

  • Despite facing significant pushback and obstacles throughout her career, Tripp's ultimate goal has been to create meaningful change in the department and the community

  • Tripp is committed to paving the way for future generations of qualified firefighters, especially women of color

“I always envisioned myself—actually, I couldn’t even spell pediatrician, but I used to say ‘baby doctor,’ not knowing I was actually talking about more of a nurse type deal. Just helping people,” she said. “And then, of course, with my parents only having a 6th-grade education, I just wanted to graduate from high school.”

The East Tampa native went on to study computer engineering at the University of South Florida. She later left the Bay Area and joined the Navy after giving birth to her son in 1986. It wasn’t until a friend suggested that Tripp should become a firefighter that she gave the service much thought.

“My first impression of the fire department was, 'It’s too hot in Tampa to put out fires,'” she said.

Tripp eventually decided to give Hillsborough Community College’s fire academy a try. She earned several certifications and degrees along the way and worked her way up to Rescue Division Chief. But she says the journey to get there wasn’t easy.

“I felt like I was being pushed down by society, and when I say society, I mean my coworkers,” she said. “‘No, you sit over here in the corner,’ and I’m like, ‘That’s not me. You know, I can help out.’ ‘No, no, you stay over there.’”

Tripp says there were years of pushback in the male-dominated industry, and she began contemplating retiring in October 2020 during the pandemic. That November, she got a call from Mayor Jane Castor about an open interim fire chief position.

Then, on June 25, 2021, the mother of three was sworn in as Tampa Rescue’s first female fire chief, with her son, Gregory, by her side.

“It was kind of like you want someone to pinch you and wake you up because it’s not real,” she said. “I really didn’t know what I was getting myself into, but another side of me was like, ‘You can do this. You can make a change. You can make things better.’”

Since getting into office, that’s been Tripp’s ultimate goal for the department and the community. Recently, she shared her story in front of a room of women at TECO Hall, encouraging them to make a difference.

“We should be helping each other, we should be inspiring each other, you know. Reach one, teach one. Teach one, reach one,” she said to the crowd.

While Tripp is the first in her position, she says she doesn’t want to be the last. She’s committed to paving the way for the next generation of qualified firefighters, who may just happen to be Black women too.