The Westchester County Volunteer Firemen's Association swore in its first female president Thursday night.
The gathering of volunteer firefighters at a small banquet hall in Cortlandt also celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Mohegan Volunteer Fire Association.
New President Angela Outhouse's instinct to respond to emergencies was also on full display.
About an hour before being sworn in and right after speaking with News 12, Outhouse noticed a fellow firefighter not feeling well.
She treated him on the spot right as other firefighters ran to their cars to get their medical bags.
The firefighter was then taken to a hospital.
Outhouse is a volunteer EMT and firefighter with the Buchanan Engine Company. She said that there were few women in the male-dominated field of firefighting and still are.
She said her focus in her new role is to encourage more women to join and changing the culture, starting with the Association’s name. She wants to change it from Firemen to Firefighters Association.
“I was actually dissuaded from joining when I was younger, when I was in high school. The first thing I joined was EMS. I became an EMT in 2005 and I joined the fire department in 2008,” Outhouse said.
Outhouse said her daughter also joined her department as a firefighter.