RFD recognizes first female assistant fire chief

(ABC 6 News) – The Rochester Fire Department typically holds its awards and promotion ceremony every year, but COVID-19 put a halt to the ceremony last year and the year before. There were even more people to honor this year at Tuesday night’s ceremony.

Holly Mulholland is making history with the fire department. She was recognized for her promotion to assistant fire chief but she’s not only the assistant chief. She is the first female to hold this position in the history of the Rochester Fire Department.

Mulholland was promoted in Oct. 2021. Almost 14 years ago she started out as a firefighter with RFD, then she became a motor operator, then a captain, a battalion chief and now assistant fire chief.

“It feels good. It feels humbling and I’m very thankful and thankful for all of the people that took the time and energy throughout my career to mentor me, to help prepare me for this,” Mulholland said.

Of her immediate family, Mulholland is the first to be in the fire service.

As the first woman to hold this position for RFD, she hopes other women aspire to get into the industry too.

“If there are other females out there that are thinking about it, I’d encourage them to check into it, to take the opportunity. I’m so glad that I did almost 14 years ago now and this is a viable career for women and you can be very successful and you can promote,” she said.

Mulholland said she loves the future planning aspects of the position so far and looking ahead for the department.

Other awards were given out such as the Sudden Cardiac Arrest awards for fire crews who performed life-saving CPR on citizens.