Lori Moore-Merrell

Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell was appointed by President Joe Biden as the U.S. Fire Administrator on October 25, 2021. In the role, she is a champion for data-informed decision-making, and she is leading a national campaign to recruit and train firefighters. She’s bringing the fire service community together to speak with one voice. Dr. Moore-Merrell’s career began not in the halls of power, but in the seat of a fire department ambulance as she worked 24-hour shifts as a firefighter paramedic in Memphis, Tennessee. When people called 9-1-1, she was on the scene. She saved lives. And she learned first-hand what our communities — and our emergency responders — are up against. Today, the fire service community is facing personnel shortages, confronting home fires that burn hotter and faster, and wildfire seasons that never stop. The burdens on firefighters, both mental and physical, are becoming severe. Dr. Moore-Merrell understands that solutions don’t always come from the top. Rather, they flow from the bottom up and the outside in — Dr. Moore-Merrell is a powerful advocate for collaboration. Listening to safety professionals in the field, understanding and integrating their perspectives, amplifying their voices, and working together to drive systems change. Dr. Moore-Merrell convened the first Summit on Fire Prevention and Control since the 1974 founding of the U.S. Fire Administration. The Summit brought the head of every relevant government agency — and every major fire safety organization — together in the same room to articulate and execute a new, national fire strategy. Dr. Moore-Merrell believes that together, we can turn a moment of crisis into an era of opportunity for the fire service. This is leadership. According to Dr. Moore-Merrell, it is leadership that empowers others, and leadership that inspires hope.