# I know a fireman who looks after the fire **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 21, 2023, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-a-fireman-who-looks-after-the-fire/991904 "2023-10-21T22:49:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2023, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-a-fireman-who-looks-after-the-fire/991904/1 "2023-10-21T22:49:20Z")
Just a congrats to my cousin Anita, who for many months and way too long has been the _Interim_ Fire Chief of Acton, Massachusetts (a bit outside Boston yet inside the I-95 corridor) > **[Anita Arnum Appointed as Chief of Acton Fire Department](https://jgpr.net/2023/10/17/anita-arnum-appointed-as-chief-of-acton-fire-department/)** > > ACTON — Town Manager John S. Mangiaratti is pleased to announce that Anita Arnum has been appointed as the new permanent chief of the Acton Fire Department, making her the first woman to lead the department.  Just looking at her list of accomplishments and 34 years as a fireman, I would not have understood how they could have gone elsewhere to find the right “guy” to fill the role. Both our fathers were born in Norway and grew up during German occupation so good on Norge too! (The subject line is a lyric from an old Genesis song, “Supper’s Ready” and itself is considered a reference to Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451” where of course _reading_ books is illegal and firemen do their part against cultural progress by burning books - it just sounded like a good subject title) ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2023, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-a-fireman-who-looks-after-the-fire/991904/2 "2023-10-21T22:58:57Z")
Yay ! Go Anita ! ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2023, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-a-fireman-who-looks-after-the-fire/991904/3 "2023-10-21T23:00:02Z")
Nice! ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2023, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-a-fireman-who-looks-after-the-fire/991904/4 "2023-10-22T04:59:30Z")
She sounds wildly qualified! About time. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2023, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-a-fireman-who-looks-after-the-fire/991904/5 "2023-10-22T14:30:23Z")
My home town! ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2023, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-a-fireman-who-looks-after-the-fire/991904/6 "2023-10-22T21:48:03Z")
Good news. I wish her well, and am a little miffed that it took so long. (P.S. You could call her a _firefighter_ instead of a _fireman_ … it would make your 2nd sentence less awkward.) ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2023, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-a-fireman-who-looks-after-the-fire/991904/7 "2023-10-23T00:24:55Z")
> [@Spiff](#): > > You could call her a _firefighter_ instead of a _fireman_ You are correct and I reckon she’d appreciate the term “firefighter” if that meant more females would aspire to what is, let’s just say, a very tough career. Next time I am fortunate to meet her, I will call her “Chief Arnum” which my niece said has a nice ring to it.