When Shannon Anthoine is in public in her impressive uniform, she gets a lot of comments, questions and stares. "What do I call you?" asked one girl.
A firefighter is fine, Anthoine said.
She knows she is a role model and would like to see more female firefighters. "Females add another dimension to the department," Anthoine said.
There is an event on May 9 — sponsored by the Association for Non-traditional Employment for Women — to learn about fire/EMS career opportunities.
Anthoine started her career as a firefighter after she realized pursuing her business major at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater was not the right fit. When she saw a woman with a fire rescue uniform on campus, she asked about it. After taking her first rescue class, Anthoine was hooked. She has now been in the EMS/fire service for the last 18 years, including nearly three years as assistant chief for the Franklin Fire Department.