Tamica Barnett

Blazing a trail

Jason Klaiber

Upon becoming the first-ever black woman promoted to a lieutenant spot in the

Syracuse Fire Department, Tamica Barnett knew for certain that she didn’t want to be the last. That milestone was reached last May, about a decade into Barnett’s career as a firefighter and just short of 150 years after the establishment of the department. Since then, the born-and-raised Syracusan admits to downplaying the celebration of her landmark promotion so as not to discomfort her peers, though the importance was not lost on her. “You gotta keep breaking these barriers,” Barnett said. “What gives me motivation is knowing that everything I do in this position is setting a platform for someone else to advance.”

Independent of the challenges that come with being a first responder and her feeling of being under a microscope as the department’s first black female lieutenant, Barnett said her favorite part of the job has been her visits with local schoolchildren.

“I take great pride in teaching inner city kids the little life-saving things that could make a difference and telling them it’s achievable to be a Syracuse firefighter,” Barnett said.

These drop-ins to schools she attended herself, like H.W. Smith Elementary, have routinely incorporated fire safety drills catered to grade level, with lessons including tips on “stop, drop and roll” technique and the detection of carbon monoxide in households.

In the push for “community cultivation” as she calls it, the department has also allowed children to climb behind the wheels of the parked fire trucks and go on guided tours of the stations.

Back when she was their age, Barnett didn’t know any firefighters on a personal level—something that pushed her to be an example for the kids on her block.

Once she graduated from the fire academy in November 2011, she spent three years on duty at Syracuse Fire Station 10, located right in the vicinity of her childhood home on East Genesee Street.

“I knew everybody on the calls, which was kind of a gift and a curse,” Barnett said.

With this dynamic, she noticed the impact of her aid even after clocking out of her shifts, but often enough she would also have to treat shooting and stabbing victims who grew up with her on the east side, already aware of their dates of birth and the names of their parents.

Now taking on the role of lieutenant, Barnett views the safe return home for her crew members as her primary responsibility. In addition, she seeks to move up the ranks while taking Officer II and III classes to prepare for a greater variety of situations.

“Things have been going really well since I’ve been promoted, but continuous learning is important, especially for a job like ours,” she said.

In her day to day, Barnett is also a fire marshal and a certified lab instructor, meaning she instructs emergency care providers on their way to receiving state certifications.

Barnett earned a seat on the Syracuse City School Board in 2019. She also serves as a commissioner for the Boys & Girls Club and as a board member for both the district’s Educational Foundation and the local organization On Point for College.

Late last spring, Tamica Barnett became the first black woman promoted to lieutenant in the 145-year history of the Syracuse Fire Department. Spread out over 12 stations, the department has been assigned the highest fire protection rating by the ISO.

On the side, Barnett owns and operates Who Want Smoke BBQ, a full-service caterer for residents of Syracuse.

Her knack for mentorship has further carried over to her organization of a biddy basketball league for 5 to 12-year-olds at the Boys & Girls Club on East Fayette Street, not to mention her appointment to a seat on the board of On Point For College, a Syracuse-based nonprofit aimed at helping students both enter higher education and achieve success with their careers.

In 2019, she was named to the Syracuse City School District’s board of education. She is currently the vice president. For the district, she also sits on the board of the Educational Foundation, which has lent support by holding sporting event fundraisers and recognition breakfasts while procuring grants for innovative academic projects. In Barnett’s spare time as a grillmaster, she enjoys serving up ribs and char-grilled chicken wings on top of teaching youth at Salt City Market the ways of the culinary arts, specifically the optimal approach to storing cutting boards, knowledge of food temperatures, and the ins and outs of meal preparation.

Just like the protective coverage of the fire department she knows so well, Barnett’s business, Who Want Smoke BBQ & Catering, delivers to the entire Syracuse metropolitan area. SWM

Lt. Tamica Barnett has a 14-year-old son named Adrian and a husband named Vernon, whom she married in February.