Deputy chief of the Meriden Fire Department, Cristina Schoeck, is the first Latina and the first female to earn the position since the department’s inception in 1851.
“It's really good for young women to be able to see that there are females in the fire service, and that we can move up the ranks,” said Schoeck, who was born to Cuban parents. “Same thing with the Hispanic community, they can see that, especially here in America where we have a large population of Latinos, that the fire service is a good career and this is something that they should consider coming into.” Schoeck was sworn in during a ceremony at the Augusta Curtis Cultural Center on Oct. 14. Schoeck is one of five Latinos employed at Meriden’s Fire Department.