Woodland’s City Council chambers overflowed with firefighters wanting to give the newest member of their family a warm welcome.
Emily Richter joined their ranks as the city’s fire marshal during a Tuesday afternoon swearing-in ceremony. Her father pinned on her badge as the crowd cheered.
Woodland Fire Chief Rebecca Ramirez introduced Richter to the audience, speaking to her experience and overall fit for the “proactive” position.
“Firefighters are often called emergency responders and it is because they are just driven to respond and there is no denying the tenacity and the strong desire to truly respond — at almost all costs — that firefighters have,” Ramirez said. “Well our fire prevention personnel share that same drive. They have just as strong a desire to respond as all of us do.”
In her new role, Richter will work to proactively prevent fires and other emergencies, while firefigthers on the front lines take a more “reactive” approach, Ramirez explained.