Nassau gets first female ass't fire chief

Heather Senti stands alone in Nassau County.

She became the first woman in the county to hold one of the highest firefighting management positions when the Lakeview Volunteer Fire Department earlier this month elected her assistant fire chief.

"We never had any females ascend through the ranks," Senti, 26, said. "It's definitely a change."

She ran unopposed in the 65-member department that covers a 1.4-square-mile area in the Town of Hempstead. She's also the only woman in the department. She took office April 12.

"It's not easy to become a chief of a fire department," said Richard Messina, president of the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs and third vice president of the Nassau County Firemen's Association. "You have to go through all the ranks. It takes a lot of time and most women don't have a lot of time."

Senti finds the time to volunteer between working a full-time job as the assistant to the commissioner of the Nassau County Office of Emergency Management and completing her master's degree in emergency management at Adelphi University.

"I would say being a chief officer is like having another full-time job," she said.

As assistant fire chief, Senti's responsibilities include dispatching volunteers to respond to calls and leading them to fires.

"It is a great achievement on her part," said Lakeview Fire Chief Michael Koeppel, who was elected to the top post when Senti became assistant chief. "I hope to see more women move into fire service management positions."

Suffolk County fire departments currently have three women as chiefs and assistant chiefs, and have had others in the past. Until Senti's election, Nassau County fire departments had remained men-only at the top.

Before starting her two-year term as assistant chief, Senti had been a captain and a lieutenant. She became a volunteer when she was 19.

The department covers Lakeview, parts of West Hempstead and exits 17 to 19 of the Southern State Parkway. Senti said she wants to keep the department well-staffed with volunteers, either through recruitment or retention.

"It's hard to find people who would have the time to help out their community," said Senti, a lifelong Lakeview resident.

For Senti, being part of the volunteer fire department is a family legacy. She has been part of it, she joked, "ever since birth."

The firehouse where she serves is named after her grandfather, Fredrick G. Senti, who was a 50-year member of the department. Her father, Frederick Senti Jr., served as chief and has been a department volunteer since 1972. He is the current Lakeview fire district commissioner. Other family members also have volunteered with the department.

"My dad is thrilled and my mom is my biggest cheerleader," Senti said.

Lakeview volunteer fire department

Founding date: 1909

No. of firefighters: 65

Coverage area: 1.4 sq. miles