South Bend Fire strives for 'fair and equal' department with naming of first female captain

SOUTH BEND — In 1887, the South Bend Fire Department achieved the status of becoming a full-time paid fire department. 

By 1919, it consisted of 67 men in 12 companies. 

Now, over 100 years later, the SBFD reached a new milestone April 17 with the promotion of its first female captain, Erin Tibbs. 

Following a unanimous Board of Public Safety vote of approval, Tibbs celebrated her promotion with her large extended family at the County-City Building with pictures, flowers and smiles. 

“I worked really hard for this,” Tibbs told The Tribune Wednesday. 

Before testing for captain, Tibbs, who was sworn in on July 2, 2015, had to pass a number of certifications and serve in the department for eight years. 

She’s certified to drive and pump the engine, a certified fire instructor, certified in running command, and completed a fire officer and strategy tactics class. 

SBFD Chief Carl Buchanon said Tibbs is very respected within the fire department and noted that this promotion was something she earned. 

“It’s important that when individuals get promoted, it’s not just because the fire chief wants to promote you,” he said. “It comes from your rank and file. That’s what she represents. She’s a fair and honest person, and she’s going to give 100% everywhere.” 

'Invaluable' peer support

Tibbs is a lead paramedic within the department and also serves on the Human Relations Committee and Peer Support Team. 

Buchanon called Tibbs’ involvement in the Peer Support Team “invaluable” in the aftermath of the Jan. 21 fire at 222 LaPorte Ave. that killed six children, all siblings: 11-year-old Angel Smith, 10-year-old Demetris Smith, 9-year-old Davida Smith, 5-year-old Deontay Smith, 4-year-old D’Angelo Smith and 17-month-old Faith Smith. 

The fire department’s first company on scene, Engine 2, was met with intense flames engulfing the first and second floors of the house in what became one of the deadliest fires in South Bend’s history. 

The South Bend Fire Department's former Assistant Chief of Prevention, Gerard Ellis, previously told The Tribune that firefighters deal with grief in their own time. 

“Sometimes it might affect you immediately; other times, it could be a month or a year later," he said then. 

“We needed those peer support members for our personnel,” Buchanon told The Tribune on April 17. “She (Tibbs) was right there.” 

Tibbs recalled those moments after the fire and how she assisted the department through peer support. 

Jon Knepp, another firefighter who was promoted to captain on Wednesday, called the team at home and informed them of what happened, Tibbs said. 

Knepp is the coordinator of the fire department’s Peer Support Team. 

“As many of us that were needed, that could, came in to talk to the crews, to sit with them and see what they needed,” Tibbs recounted. “We’ve seen some horrible, awful stuff, and you don’t want to keep that all bottled up inside.” 

After that initial meeting, Tibbs said, the Peer Support Team conducted a critical incident stress debriefing to make sure everyone was doing OK.

Promoting fairness

As a member of the Human Relations Committee, Tibbs also serves by speaking up for equality and fairness in the department. 

In April 2021, 12 females within the South Bend Fire Department wrote a letter to the mayor’s office, Buchanon and the Board of Public safety discussing the “blatant” violations of department policy over the years, including sexual harassment, sexual discrimination and inappropriate sexual acts in fire stations. 

The letter was prompted by the 24 hours of unpaid leave given to a male captain who, the letter said, demeaned, harassed and blocked the escape of a female firefighter while he was verbally harassing her at the department’s Station 8 on Dec. 24, 2020. The captain also battered the woman by striking her in the head, the letter said. 

“We come to work expecting a workplace free of harassment and violence, yet when it occurs it is treated like a slap on the wrist, even when the accused captain freely admits to the actions … and this was his third offense!” the letter said. 

Tibbs said that confidential situations such as this are addressed and heard by the Human Relations Committee. 

“Hopefully, if any other women have issues like that within the department, they’re comfortable coming to me if they need any assistance, help or guidance,” she said. 

A diverse department

Diversity in the fire department has been at the forefront of Buchanon’s mind since his appointment as fire chief, he said. 

“That was one of my goals, to, hopefully, be in the position where I was able to promote the first female,” Buchanon said. “I’d like to see us continue to progress in going in the right direction and making this department one that’s acceptable for everyone.”

He hopes to change the perception of firefighters, formed over the past 100 years. 

“The perception was that you had to be male in order to ascend the rank,” he said. “But that is not something that we want to continue to be a part of. We want to be a fair, equal department.” 

Tibbs hopes her promotion will inspire other female firefighters to aspire for captain as well. 

“Hopefully, some of the other girls will test to be captain when they have enough time on the job and feel that they’re ready to do it,” she said.