In 1986, the Black Chief Officers Committee (BCOC) was established as a Resource Committee under the International Association of Black Professional Firefighters (IABPFF).*

In 2005 the BCOC incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Today, the BCOC is a premier educational and networking organization representing Black Chief Officers in emergency response and preparedness services in the United States, Africa, United Kingdom, and the Caribbean. The BCOC's mission is to improve the educational and professional networking resources available to those that aspire to the highest ranks in the profession. In doing so, the BCOC membership hopes to remain uniquely positioned in its communities to see needs that may be overlooked by others.

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*The BCOC is a standing committee under the IABPFF, which has a membership of over 5,500 fire service professionals.