Rockdale County, GA’s First Black-Woman Fire Chief Resigns

While the BioLab incident is a notable occurrence in McDaniel's term, it is only one event and does not define her years of public service.

Marian McDaniel, the first-ever Black woman fire chief in Rockdale County, Georgia, resigned on Feb. 3, Fox 5 reports.

A county spokesperson said CEO JaNice Van Ness immediately pointed James Robinson, deputy chief of operations, as interim chief.

County officials said the resignation was not in response to the September 2024 BioLab fire.

“Our priority remains focused on ensuring that we offer an effective fire department that provides the very best in service levels,” Van Ness said in an emailed statement. “Our commissioners remain focused on delivering quality services, and we are confident this transition will help us move forward in the best interest of our community.”

The former chief has been under considerable scrutiny in recent months due to her handling of September’s BioLab fire that caused a plume of chemicals to be released into the Rockdale County air. The facility is partially operational as the investigation into the incident continues.

Activists have expressed frustration with county leaders over their handling of the incident, particularly after BioLab reopened, Fox 5 reports. Several lawsuits, including one from the county, have been filed against BioLab in the months after the blaze.

McDaniel was appointed Rockdale County fire chief in December 2020. At the time, she was the 12th African American female fire chief in the United States and had enjoyed a distinguished career.

She began her career in 1998 at Fulton County’s Atlanta Fire and Rescue. For nearly 20 years, she worked there in multiple capacities: firefighter, lieutenant, captain, public information officer, and captain of emergency medical services.

McDaniel retired from the county in 2017. She went on to serve as deputy fire chief of administration in Rockdale County. She did not give a statement about her reason for resigning or her future career moves.