First female Fire Chief sworn in at Prestonsburg Fire Department

By Roberta Cantrell

BSN Editor

Celina Bowers Thomas, the first female fire chief in Prestonsburg Fire Department history was sworn in on Monday, Oct. 7. She is only one of three in the state of Kentucky.

Thomas was raised in Michigan and after college she moved to Prestonsburg to be near family. She joined the department as a volunteer and took an EMT class. In 2012 she received her paramedic license and after the City of Prestonsburg got their own ambulance service in 2022, she was named EMS Director.

Thomas stated that “from the age of 8, after a small fire at her home, she wanted to become a firefighter.”

On Monday, Oct. 14, she was officially pinned the new fire chief at the Mountain Arts Center.

In her acceptance speech she said, “I will always do the right thing, even if it’s not the popular opinion. I will try to honor God with whatever decision I make, and those decisions will be the best for this department and this community.”