Slatington Fire Department has nine women who have stepped up to volunteer to help protect their community as firefighter, fire police and emergency medical technicians - and the number keeps growing.

Fire Chief Ronald Hausman updated the borough council at their November meeting about the certificates awarded recently and the number of women who have joined the department.

“In my 47 years in the fire service we’ve always had women firefighters most of time just one, I’m proud to announce we actually have eight,” Hausman said. “Either they’re certified firefighter 1, they’re EMT’s, they’re fire police, but as change has come along we’re looking at facts that we need help everywhere. I’m hoping we get more women.”

Hausman said that for the first time in history in this department, the safety officer is a woman. Krystall Borman also is the first female fire line officer in the department in addition to being safety officer.

“Who knows down the road, we may see our first fire chief also, which I would applaud if that would ever happen,” Hausman said.

A trained EMT, Borman said she joined the fire department because she felt left out and a little jealous when her husband would leave to answer a fire call. All these years later, she has risen the ranks and plans to keep going. Borman said becoming fire chief is one of her goals.

The fire department has 44 people on the roster and six new applicants. Four of them are also women, Borman said.

Two of the department’s newest members are firefighter Stephanie Stein and Annie Tomaino, a fire police officer. Stein said she is a full-time EMT, and never planned to be a firefighter. That was until she met Borman at a call one night.

Borman encouraged her to try it and invited her to come to the station. She did and is glad she decided to join.

Tomaino and her boyfriend joined at the same time after talking to Borman and another firefighter.

“We wanted a sense of being involved in the community and giving back to it,” Tomaino said. “We opted to be fire police to help protect the firefighters.”

Borman said training can be challenging, but it’s manageable. She and firefighter Zoe Moyer recently received a national certification for training they pursued.

“We were two of probably the smallest people in our fire class. We did have our challenges throughout the class. We had to adapt things and learn how to do things a little differently to get the same job done. But it’s not that hard, as long as you put your mindset to it,” Borman said. “Zoe did great. I’m very proud of her.”

Firefighter Maigan Sandt said she first volunteered in a fire department 14 years ago, left, and returned recently.

“Back then it was only two female firefighters, one being the chief’s daughter. They didn’t let us do a lot of stuff, because we were females, and they considered it a man’s job,” Sandt said. “Coming back, it’s nice. It’s more females, and they actually let us get our hands dirty. It’s not a man’s job. Everybody gets included. I learned more in the past month in a half of being here than in the six years of being in it back in the day because Krystall and them actually put you out there and have you do hands-on-training and make you part of the team.”

The women look forward to having more women join the department. They all agreed with Tomaino, who said, “It’s a family outside of your own home.”