Wendy Hause to join elite group of 70 females and become Unadilla Township’s first female fire chief
by Judy Williams
Wendy Hause is about to join an elite group of 70 females who serve as fire chiefs among more than 29,000 departments nationwide. On Feb. 1, she will be appointed Unadilla Township Fire Chief. Hause has been running the show of 15 men and 3 women since January 2019 when Fire Chief Mark Schroeder became seriously ill and was unable to continue his duties. The energetic Hause has confidently taken on the duties as chief due to the experience she gained as assistant chief over the last several years.
Unadilla Township Supervisor Linda Walker said Hause accepted the appointment at the January township board meeting. “I am confident that our department will thrive with Wendy at the helm,” she said. “Wendy has excellent people and management skills. She has 24 years of experience with the fire department, nine years as assistant chief and one year as acting chief.”
Hause, who first joined the Unadilla Township Fire Department in 1996, was the first woman firefighter for Unadilla Township. When asked why she joined the fire department, she took on a faraway look.
“I wanted to be a fireman as a young girl,” she explained, “after visiting a Detroit Fire station as a Girl Scout but was discouraged by adults who said that women couldn’t be firemen. After we moved to Gregory, I stopped at the fire house and talked with then Fire Chief Steve Richmond who encouraged me to apply.”
Hause continued, “For the most part, I felt welcomed, but there were some who weren’t quite ready for the first UTFD female fire firefighter. I never experienced any animosity from the team and quickly made some life-long friends. I love that we now have more female responders on the department. The comments from the citizens have always been positive.”
Hause gained leadership experience at the Ford Motor Company Automotive where she served at the Safety Office. Plus she spent years on the First Response Teams at Ford and chaired the Employee Safety Committee. After joining the UTFD, she attended the County Fire Academy and became licensed as an Emergency Medical Technician. All members of the fire service are continually training each year, and medical licenses require continuing education credits.
“It’s a huge commitment to stay qualified,” Hause stated with a shake of her head. “We are very fortunate to have a group of dedicated men and women who are willing to take on the challenges of being a firefighter. I’m proud to be their chief.”
