MILFORD MILL, Md. — "Your imagination sets the tone for what you want to be. I'm a reflection of that. I had a dream, I pursued it, I did what it took, and then I maintained my integrity along the way," said Battalion Chief April Owens.
Owens has made history again, becoming the first African American woman promoted to battalion chief within the Baltimore County Fire Department,
The promotion comes as Baltimore County invests millions of dollars to expand its emergency response command structure. The county approved $3.4 million to add 12 new battalion chief positions, more than doubling the number of leaders available to respond to emergencies.
In her new role, Owens commands emergency scenes, coordinates crews, and makes critical decisions the moment she arrives on a call.
"Once I arrive on the scene, then I take command," Owens said.
Her command vehicle serves as a mobile operations hub, allowing her to manage incidents from the start.
"So this is my command center," Owens said. "We can work out incident management almost immediately at the start of the call rather than 10, 15 minutes into the call."
For Owens, public service has always been personal. She comes from a family rooted in public safety, spanning the military, law enforcement, and corrections. But it was her older brother, a paramedic firefighter, who had the greatest influence.
"So he kind of set the blueprint," Owens said.
That blueprint drew Owens to the fire service more than two decades ago. Her journey began even earlier, as a 16-year-old cadet with the Baltimore City Fire Department.
"It gave me a framework for what I wanted for my life," Owens said. "You don't know sometimes unless you have the opportunity to learn about a career field."
Owens described her motivation for entering public service in simple terms.
"I wanted to help people," Owens said.
She says the work offers something no other career can replicate.
"We get to meet people at their worst, but then we have the option to make an impression on their lives and make their life better, and you have that interaction with every call you have, and that can't be reproduced in any workplace," Owens said.
In 2022, Owens made history as the first Black woman to become a fire captain in Baltimore County. Her latest promotion marks another milestone in a career defined by perseverance.
"It's confirmation that hard work, perseverance, preparation, all of those met this opportunity and made it happen," Owens said.
Owens says her promotion is also a reminder that representation matters, both for the community and for those who may one day want to serve.
“When the community gets to see that there's all different people from walks of life that come together to be a team, I think it's an inspiration to everybody that I can be anything,” Owens said.
Before the funding for more battalion chiefs, gaps in coverage created delays in command-level leadership at emergency scenes.
"Prior to the funding, a lot of times we would have company officers hold that position until a chief would get there just because the response times were so long," Owens said.
For Owens, the goal remains the same as it was when she first started her career, being there for people when they need help most.
"Helping people, being involved in my community, knowing that no matter what I do with my career and my life, I know that I made an impression on many people that I was the person that was there to help them in their time of need," Owens said.
