ARROW POINT — Once Charlotte Pegoraro had a taste of emergency services, she, in her own words, "got sucked in quick."

Pegoraro was recently named deputy fire chief of the East Side Fire Protection District, becoming one of only a handful of female chief officers in the fire service across the state.

"I've lived in the district almost 25 years, so this is really a direct link to my friends and neighbors," she said.

East Side has about 45 total volunteers and covers 90 square miles on the east side of Lake Coeur d'Alene between Beauty Creek to the Coeur d'Alene River just north of Harrison.

Pegoraro started serving with East Side about five years ago as a volunteer firefighter and EMT. Most recently, she has been second-in-command on the emergency medical side.

"Charlotte has incredible people skills,

leadership abilities and is a great teacher," Fire Chief Dan Currie said. "The deputy chief role is new for us, and we're excited about her level of commitment and passion."

Currie said women being in chief officer positions has evolved faster on the emergency medical side than with the fire service.

"The fire service still tends to be male-dominated, but the trend toward more women is fortunately evolving," Currie said.

Patty Morgan, executive director of the Idaho Fire Chiefs Association, said female firefighters, especially in wildland or volunteer fire departments, are common.

However, she added, women in chief officer positions for career departments are rare — though not unheard of. Peggy Smith, for example, is chief of the Coolin-Cavanaugh Bay Fire Department on Priest Lake.

Pegoraro, 41, whose family has a history in the fire service, also previously was a volunteer with Harrison Ambulance. With her recent promotion, she has become the highest-ranked female in the history of the East Side district.

"I've always been a sponge when it comes to learning things," she said.

Currie said Pegoraro is respected in the district and has the personality to ensure the volunteers feel appreciated.

"That opportunity will continue to help us involve and hopefully attract more females to the department," Currie said.