THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, January 19, 1995 TAG: 9501170095
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY VICKI LEWIS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
ONE DAY YOU might find Portia Rawles standing in front of an easel painting oils on canvas.
Another day you might find her working with disadvantaged kids through her children's ministry program.
Still another day you might find her giving orders to a group of firefighters at the scene of a fire.
There are many sides of Rawles, the first black woman to become an officer in the Norfolk Fire Department and the second woman ever in the department.
Rawles, a 30-year-old Chesapeake resident, was named a lieutenant in the fire department, which is only about 4 percent female, late last year. She has been a firefighter since she was 21.
Rawles says she was intrigued with the idea of firefighting as a young child. She had a friend whose father was a firefighter, and she remembers thinking that maybe someday she would like to do that, too. But Rawles' love of art led her in other directions.
After graduating from Manor High School in Portsmouth, she studied art and photography at Stanford University.
After graduating from Stanford she took a job at an art museum planning and arranging shows for other artists. She says that job ``was kind of boring.''
Remembering her childhood fascination with firefighting, she decided to enroll in Norfolk's three-month firefighting academy.
In contrast to working at a museum, firefighting, she said, ``is definitely not boring. And it's different every day.''
After eight years in the department, Rawles took a promotion exam and underwent an oral interview before a three-person panel before being promoted to lieutenant.
As lieutenant, she is head of a ladder company at Fire Station No. 2, at the corner of Church and 25th streets.
Ladder companies are in charge of rescuing those who are trapped in burning buildings and in ventilating buildings so that engine companies can come in. At the scene of a fire, ``I see that the assignments are carried out.''
That entails ``making sure that my crew goes in and gets people out, whether by cutting holes in the roof or crashing in doors,'' she said. ``We do all the cutting, chopping and tearing up.''
Though firefighting can be dangerous, Rawles said that ``it's not in the forefront of your mind - not to the point where you are paralyzed anyway.''
Generally, said Rawles, who is also an emergency medical technician, her station goes out on more medical calls than fire calls.
``Gun shots, heart attacks - it's crazy,'' she said.
Station 2 usually makes 200 runs a month, she said.
With the typically unorthodox work schedule of a firefighter, Rawles has time to be involved in the other things she enjoys. She paints oils on canvas and does black and white photography. Recently she had a show of her work in Washington where she sold some of her pieces.
She's also very involved with her church, Cathedral of Faith Church of God in Christ in Chesapeake, and leads the Christ Club Ministry for children.
In addition, she is working on a master's degree in pastoral counseling at Regent University. She says she thinks she may be able to use this degree to go become a counselor/ chaplain with the fire department. MEMO: If you know someone whom you feel is deserving of a Thumbs Up! feature,
call Vicki Lewis at 446-2286.
ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by RICHARD L. DUNSTON
When Portia Rawles recently was promoted to lieutenant, she became
the first black woman officer in the Norfolk Fire Department.
KEYWORDS: PROFILE by CNB