MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – Miami Beach made history Wednesday with the swearing-in of Digna Abello, the city’s first female fire chief.
The ceremony was held at the Miami Beach Convention Center’s Sunset Vista Ballroom.
Abello, a 19-year veteran of the Miami Beach Fire Department, began her career as a firefighter and rose through the ranks to become the department’s 14th chief.
The Miami Beach Fire Department is among the elite 1% of fire agencies in the U.S. that have earned the prestigious ISO Class 1 rating from the Insurance Services Office, MBFR said in a news release Wednesday.
“We are very proud to be in a city that rewards leadership and hard work, and promotes from within when we have a deserving candidate like Chief Abello,” said Miami Beach Interim City Manager Rickelle Williams said in the release. “We look forward to making history as the first municipality in Miami-Dade County to appoint and swear in a woman as fire chief.”
The Miami Beach City Commission unanimously approved Abello’s appointment on June 26. She succeeds Chief Virgil Fernandez, who retired after more than a decade with the department and four decades of service in South Florida fire agencies.
Throughout her career, Abello has distinguished herself by rising to the rank of lieutenant with a focus on recruitment and administration.
She has also served as division chief of support services, division chief of training, and division chief of rescue.
Before her appointment as chief, MBFR said Abello was the department’s deputy chief of administration from 2020, working closely with Fernandez on significant department matters.
Abello holds a bachelor’s degree in emergency management from Barry University and numerous certifications, including fire inspector, fire officer, fire instructor, National Fire Academy leadership certification, incident command system certification and accreditation manager through the Commission on Fire Accreditation International, according to the news release.
Local 10 News viewers can watch a portion of the historic ceremony in the video at the top of the page.