ROANOKE, Va. – A new space inside Roanoke Fire Station 5 now bears the name of a local trailblazer. Today, city leaders and fire officials dedicated the Rawleigh Quarles Community Room, honoring Roanoke’s first Black fire chief.
Quarles joined the fire department in 1962 as one of the first Black firefighters, later becoming Roanoke’s first Black fire chief.
“There was a price that had to be paid, but it was worthwhile,” Quarles said. “If I had to do it all over again for the sake of achievement and equality and fairness and opportunity for others, I would do it again.”
Nearly 60 years later, the department is honoring his legacy with a permanent tribute: the Rawleigh Quarles Community Room at Fire Station 5.
“So I know when people come in and walk down that hall and go into that community room and see that plaque on the wall, it will be a reminder of the sacrifice, the hard work, dedication, and my leadership,” Quarles added.
The new community room is designed to bring people together for meetings and outreach — reflecting Chief Quarles’ lifelong mission of inclusion, service and unity.
The community room will serve as a hub for outreach, education, and connection. Roanoke city fire Chief David Hoback noted that there are not many public places, other than the library, for the community to meet.
“With his name on it, it helps bring attention to it for people to start using it for community meetings and gatherings and, like he said, fellowship and planning meetings for the area,” Hoback said.
What makes this event even more special is that Chief Quarles is here to see it. This is not a memorial down the road; it is a living tribute.
“It’s just awesome that it happened while I was still living,” Quarles said.
The community room is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and residents can reserve it through the fire administrator’s office.