The Aberdeen Board of Commissioners on Monday welcomed three new firefighters that were hired with funds approved by the board earlier this year in an effort to alleviate some of the strain placed on the town’s overburdened fire department. One of the new hires is Samantha Hinson, the first full-time female firefighter in Aberdeen history. She received her firefighter certification from Sandhills Community College. Nate Pedersen, who volunteered with the Cypress Pointe Fire Department as a teenager, also obtained his certification from SCC. He worked as a full-time firefighter in Spring Lake before being hired by the Aberdeen Fire and Rescue Department. Kendall Watson was hired after volunteering with the department through an internship with Richmond Senior High School in Rockingham. He received his certification from Richmond Community College in Hamlet.