Khalilah Yancey is a deputy chief in the Baltimore City (MD) Fire Department, where she started as a fire cadet in her senior year of high school. She was the second woman and the first African American woman to be promoted to the rank of deputy chief in the history of the department. She assumed command of the newly created Office of Professional Standards and continues to function as the department's liaison to the deputy mayor of public safety. She is active in various organizations, including Women in Fire; the International Association of Black Professional Firefighters; and the National Fire Protection Associations Responder Forum, which brings together fire service leaders, up-and-coming first responders, and subject matter experts to tackle the emerging issues faced by the fire service. Yancey has a degree in occupational safety and health and is a graduate of the Carl Holmes Executive Development Institute.