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Woodmere council passes motion selecting Gina DeVito-Staub as new fire chief

She's the first female fire chief in village history
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WOODMERE, Ohio — Wednesday night, Woodmere Village Council unanimously passed a motion to select Captain Gina DeVito-Staub as its new fire chief.

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Woodmere council passes motion selecting Gina DeVito-Staub as new fire chief

She's the first woman to serve in the role in village history, according to village officials.

In June, Mayor Benjamin Holbert said that Devito-Staub, "emerged from a crowded field of applicants who applied for the top job in the fire division. She participated in a series of panel, and administrative interviews, and distinguished herself as a superb candidate to lead the Woodmere Village fire division.”

The department is comprised of 29 part-time firefighters, EMTs, paramedics and fire inspectors and serves around 700 residents.

Prior to her new role, the village said Devito-Staub worked the last 25 years with the Twinsburg Fire Department. She's a Hiram College graduate with a degree in biology and holds an MBA and Masters in Leadership from Grand Canyon University. She's also a graduate of the National Fire Academy's Executive Fire Officer Program and also works on the Summit County Hazardous Materials Team.

According to the village, only 8% of female firefighters nationwide are female.

The village hopes that by hiring Devito-Staub it will "inspire more women, and cultural minorities, to consider careers in fire suppression and emergency medicine."

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