San Diego Fire Chief, pioneer Robert Osby remembered
SAN DIEGO (KUSI/FOX 5) — He was a legend to heroes. Pioneering Fire Chief Robert Osby is being remembered as the first African American Fire Chief to lead many major California cities over a 40-year tenure.
He was the Chief of Oceanside, Inglewood and San Jose, but Chief Osby’s family says it was his life as the San Diego City Fire Chief that was at the heart of who he was.
“I got to see my dad rise from firefighter to fire Chief and how hard he worked and how hard he studied and the sacrifices he made to get there, and at the same time help other people find their careers and their successes,” said Daryl Osby, former Fire Chief of LA County Fire.
Former LA County Fire Chief Daryl Osby says having a dad who trained him from grade school in firefighting, along with writing the original firefighting textbooks, made a big difference in his career trajectory
“When I did have some challenges, I could call him. I would say ‘dad what do you think?’ and he would always gave out outstanding advice so it was definitely an advantage to have him as a father,” said Daryl Osby.
Robert Osby is known for breaking racial barriers in San Diego when departments were still segregated. Chief Osby founded Brothers United and championed diversity within the fire department.
“Chief Osby, being who he was at the time and forming Brothers United, and forming an organization that fought against those things says a lot about a person,” said Capt. Johnathan Harris SDFD and president of Brothers United.
And with a man as busy as Chief Osby was, his daughter Gayle said he would leave work at the door and just enjoy his kids.
“Dad took us fishing all the time,” she said.
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