PALM BAY, Fla. -- In a first for Brevard County and the Space Coast's largest city, a woman has been chosen to be the fire chief in Palm Bay.
- Brevard County gets 1st female fire chief
- Leslie Hoog has more than 30 years' experience as firefighter
Monday was Chief Leslie Hoog's first day on the job.
She's served for more than three decades as a firefighter in Brevard County, 26 of that with the county fire department.
Hoog retired from the service a few years ago but missed firefighting and returned to several roles in the Palm Bay Fire Department.
She said hard work has paid off for her, but she never dreamed that as a woman, she'd become a fire chief.
"Being a woman in this service, that usually doesn't cross your mind. So, I've had very solid men in my life that mentored me, opened doors, allowed me to do things to grow," Hoog said.
"It's just an amazing feeling."
Hoog replaces Russell Nail, who recently resigned from the post after nine months on the job to take the chief's position in Escambia County in the Florida Panhandle.