LONG BEACH, NY — March 4th — The City of Long Beach, New York Fire Department held a swearing-in ceremony to welcome a new firefighter. Kanye Ray, Chief Hadrick Ray's son, took the oath of office after joining the department on his eighteenth birthday. In the past, Kanye Ray was the captain of the Long Beach Junior Fire Department for three years. This organization teaches young members about fire service procedures and basic training.

His involvement in the department carries on a family legacy. Kanye enlists in the military alongside his older brother, Captain Deon Ray, and father, Chief Hadrick Ray. Charlie Hassell, his great-grandfather and the first African American captain in the Long Beach Fire agency, is another member of the family with ties to the agency.