Selket Damon, a battalion chief in Plainfield, has been promoted to deputy fire chief, making her the first African-American woman to hold the position in New Jersey, the city's fire department announced this week.

Damon, a trailblazer in the field, previously broke barriers as Plainfield's first female deputy chief and the state's second.

In 2020, she also became New Jersey's first African-American female battalion chief, marking another historic milestone in her career.