On Sun February 23rd New Orleans lost a great man. At the age of 63 Chief Warren MCdDaniels of the New Orleans fire departmant died of cancer. Chief Mcdaniels was the first african american to become fire chief in New Orleans but that was just one small part of the overwhelming list of cultural and social contributions that he made the city. Mcdaniels was chairman of the Orleans Parish Communication District. He was also president of the Jazz and heritage foundation from 2002 to 2004. He was chairman of the board here at WWOZ from 1995 to 2002. He supported countless community service projects including the musiciand clinic, and 100 black men of New Orleans. The list goes on and on. But all these achievements seem more impressive coming from a man who dropped out of high school after his sophmore year. As a kid he said had no ambition to become a firefighter. He worked delivering poboys across the street from a fire station. "I wasn't even allowed inside" he remembered in an interview in 1999.After earning his GED as part of an adult education program to drive 18-wheelers he took a test to join the fire department. He started as a firefighter and worked his way up through the ranks receiving countless accolades along the way.

On Sun February 23rd New Orleans lost a great man. At the age of 63 Chief Warren MCdDaniels of the New Orleans fire departmant died of cancer. Chief Mcdaniels was the first african american to become fire chief in New Orleans but that was just one small part of the overwhelming list of cultural and social contributions that he made the city. Mcdaniels was chairman of the Orleans Parish Communication District. He was also president of the Jazz and heritage foundation from 2002 to 2004. He was chairman of the board here at WWOZ from 1995 to 2002. He supported countless community service projects including the musiciand clinic, and 100 black men of New Orleans. The list goes on and on. But all these achievements seem more impressive coming from a man who dropped out of high school after his sophmore year. As a kid he said had no ambition to become a firefighter. He worked delivering poboys across the street from a fire station. "I wasn't even allowed inside" he remembered in an interview in 1999.After earning his GED as part of an adult education program to drive 18-wheelers he took a test to join the fire department. He started as a firefighter and worked his way up through the ranks receiving countless accolades along the way.