“The first service job I did was as a Chicago park district lifeguard at Fuller Park located at 44th and Princeton,” said Singleton. “That gave me a little insight. The lifeguard training was no joke. It was tough. I wasn’t a strong swimmer, but the instructors kept telling us don’t quit. Eventually, I became very good at swimming. It was the start of the warrior ethos. Don’t quit.”
Singleton credits his mom and dad with instilling the idea of serving others within him. Both of his parents were blue collar workers and stressed the importance of excelling in education and working hard.
“My father was a Chicago Transit Authority conductor for 26 years. After he retired, he earned his associate degree in nursing from Olive-Harvey College and began working as a registered nurse for Cook County. My mom was a factory worker until the factory closed. After my mom was laid off, she decided to become a licensed practical nurse. Then she earned her registered nurse license and a master’s degree in nursing. She eventually taught nursing at Daley College.”
When it came time for Singleton to attend college, he went to Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and completed Reserve Officer Training Corps graduating as a second Lieutenant.
“I always wanted to be a Soldier. Both of my grandfathers served in World War II. One was a Soldier, and the other was a Marine. I was in college at Hampton University when I joined the simultaneous membership program and then I joined ROTC. I always wanted to know how people became a general. I did my basic camp at Fort Knox, Kentucky and advanced camp at Fort Lewis, Washington,” said Singleton.
After his graduation, in 2005, he was working at a rental car company when a man walked in one day to rent a car.
“He asked me what I wanted to do with my life. He told me to take the test for the Chicago Fire Department,” said Singleton. “Every time I would ask a question, he would repeatedly say take the test.”
He followed the man’s advice, signed up for the test and took it, along with other aspiring firefighters, at McCormick Place in Chicago in May 2006.
“There were thousands of people there. It was the most amount of people I had seen in one place at one time,” said Singleton. “Then I went on a stateside mobilization to Fort Benning, Georgia in February 2008 and returned home in 2009.”
During his time at Fort Benning, Singleton’s mom received a letter from the Chicago Fire Department. It was not a job offer, just a request for Singleton to come in and complete various administrative tasks.
“I had to complete several portions of the in processing for the Chicago Fire Department. I completed my mobilization on February 28, 2009, and started at the Chicago Fire Department academy on March 3, 2009,” said Singleton.
He earned his emergency medical technician license and completed firefighter training at the Chicago Fire Department Academy. Singleton is currently a commander and coordinator of community services for the Chicago Fire Department.
“I like the public interaction. It’s very rewarding. I get to spread the message about fire safety and how great it is to be a Chicago firefighter.” said Singleton.
Deputy District Chief Francisco Velez works with Singleton in the Public Education office. Their goal is to teach fire safety to young and old alike, install car safety seats upon request, teach cardiopulmonary resuscitation, how to stop bleeding and providing training for fire safety directors located in high rise buildings throughout Chicago.
“Brandon is one of my leads for the fire safety director program. We show the steps that need to be taken if a fire breaks out. Every single Chicago high rise has a fire safety director,” said Velez, who has served as a paramedic since 1988 and worked with the Chicago Fire Department since 1995. “He brings those qualities from the U.S. military to us here at the fire department. Within public education, he’s able to determine what fits best to support the operation. Right now, we have a 69 percent reduction in fire deaths due to the fire awareness programs that we run.”
When he was assigned to a truck at a firehouse, Singleton had his share of memorable calls.
“We had a man who had jumped into the Chicago River. We get that from time to time. The man had no pulse and no respiration. We applied CPR and brought him back to life. When you resuscitate somebody it’s amazing. It’s a miracle. These skills that we learn here really work,” said Singleton. “The Chicago Fire Department stresses education and improving your skill set.”
The life of a firefighter is not easy, in fact, it is more dangerous than most realize.
“We had a fire in Englewood. It was hot. I will never forget that heat. We were upstairs in the attic, and I heard a loud scream,” said Singleton. “It was another firefighter who had been burned after water deflected off a wall and got inside his bunker coat. He required skin grafts and then he came back on the job.”
Singleton said the public doesn’t realize the danger involved in firefighting.
“You can be prepared, and something can still go wrong. This isn’t a routine job. It’s a very unpredictable job. You cannot get complacent wearing this uniform. That’s when people get hurt,” said Singleton. “The most difficult part of being a firefighter is seeing a lot of tragic events. The hardest part is trying to go about your day as normal following a tragic event.”
To make a shift go smoothly, firefighters often engage in good natured joking. Sometimes they play practical jokes on each other. And the kitchen is a big part of firefighting culture where the close bonds are forged between firefighters.
“Everything starts in the kitchen at a fire house. When you are a probationary firefighter, you do all the cleaning and the meal preparation like chopping the vegetables. Then we all sit down together. We all eat together, and we appreciate our time together. We’re going to be here for 24 hours, so we make the most of it,” said Singleton.
For his Army Reserve job, he serves as a finance officer. And he has completed tours stateside and overseas within his 23 years of Army Reserve service.
“I completed two CONUS mobilizations and two overseas deployments. I was in Afghanistan from 2015 to 2016 where I was a battle captain at the Base Defense Operations Center and then moved up to force protection as an operations officer. I was at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait from 2019 to 2020 where I served as a battalion executive officer,” said Singleton.
Singleton briefly shared what makes him want to continue to serve as a Chicago firefighter and Army Reserve officer.
“Somebody paved the way for me to succeed. All the people that prayed for me and guided me and providing mentoring. I serve because I want to contribute to society. I want to give as I received,” he said. “I have received many blessings, so I have an obligation to pass it on to other folks. I would like to thank everyone that has helped me along the way and all the help I’ve been given.”
