District Chief Amanda Vomero Helps Keep Her Home Community Of Wellington Safe
By Patrick Sherry
From a young age, Amanda Vomero remembers her father telling her that she could become anything she wanted to be. This encouragement stuck with her throughout her life and led her to want to join the male-dominated fire-rescue service.
Today, Vomero is one of the top leaders at Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue (PBCFR), serving as district chief for Wellington and the surrounding areas.
The duty to protect is something that Vomero, a Wellington resident, takes on every day. Dedicated to her community, she makes it her responsibility that PBCFR provides excellent and efficient service to the western communities of Palm Beach County.
Vomero moved to South Florida from Grand Rapids, Michigan, when she was five years old and grew up in Palm Beach County. Vomero said she was drawn to the fire service because of her team-driven, athletic personality and her desire to be involved in supporting others.
“I love knowing that I have a position in the community that helps people on their worst days,” Vomero said. “We’re able to bring the tools and resources to help them out in their time of need.”
After attending emergency medical technician (EMT) school, she began applying to multiple fire departments and landed a position at the highly competitive PBCFR in 2001. Vomero is thankful that she joined the county agency early in her career because of its size and specialized divisions. The department’s reach and vast opportunities gave her the chance to gain experience in several areas while continuing to have a strong presence within the community.
Shortly after joining the agency, Vomero married her husband, Frank, who is a fire captain at PBCFR. They later decided to settle in Wellington to raise their family and have lived in the village for more than 20 years.
“Wellington, although it has grown significantly and is still growing, still has a small-town family feel,” Vomero said. “We wanted to have a family and raise our children in a community like Wellington.”
In 2023, PBCFR leaders appointed Vomero as district chief. Before becoming district chief, she advanced through the ranks as a lieutenant, captain, EMS captain and battalion chief. Vomero added that she feels a deep personal responsibility to serve the community where her neighbors and children live.
“I have a strong sense of pride, knowing that I have a direct role in the level of service that’s delivered,” she said.
PBCFR operates 51 stations across the county. Firefighters respond to thousands of emergencies every year. As district chief, Vomero leads nine fire stations that serve the greater western communities, including Wellington, Royal Palm Beach, Westlake, Loxahatchee Groves and the Acreage/Loxahatchee area. Wellington alone has four stations in the village, where firefighters provide 24-hour service every single day of the year.
Vomero’s jurisdiction over the western communities overlaps with the law enforcement services led by Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Nichole Addazio, who leads PBSO District 8 in Wellington. The two women hold significant authority over the management of emergency services in Wellington, and both represent a shift in culture in traditionally male-dominated fields by serving the area as top leaders of fire-rescue and law enforcement.
“I couldn’t have a better counterpart in Capt. Addazio,” Vomero said. “She is very intelligent, very bright and has climbed up through the ranks just like I have.”
The path to create this cultural change was difficult, something that Vomero experienced first-hand.
“In my younger years — my earlier years in the department — I dealt with a lot of adversity and had to overcome different obstacles or stereotypes that one might think of having a woman in the fire service,” she recalled. “But over the years… that mentality that women don’t really belong here has really been weeded out.”
As Vomero advanced her career, she recalls receiving support from fire-rescue leadership, who helped her change this increasingly outdated mentality. Through attrition and a growing number of women joining the fire-rescue ranks, she played a pivotal role in ensuring that all firefighters are treated equally and respectfully.
“It was extremely frustrating and exhausting to think that you weren’t allowed to have a bad day because you could possibly be judged for the rest of your career on that one bad day,” Vomero said. “It makes me feel great to see the inclusivity, and that more and more women are joining the ranks.”
Women are not the only ones whom Vomero is working to include. More minority groups are becoming firefighters, who can bring unique experiences to serve a diverse community. She is proud to see these changes and be the one to set the tone to create an inclusive environment.
“It really, truly is a great feeling to see the fire service evolve, grow, change and be more inclusive of not only women, but of all minorities,” Vomero said. “I truly believe that if we have a fire service that reflects the community we serve, we’re able to offer a better level of service because we have somebody on our trucks responding to the emergencies that can identify with just about anybody.”
Vomero credits much of her success to the support of her family, as well as support from PBCFR itself. This support helped her balance the demanding career of a firefighter while raising children alongside her husband. With such a distinguished career, she takes pride in having a direct influence on providing first-rate emergency responses to the community that she would want for her own family.
“I’m very proud of the fact that I have been able to continue to do what I do and grow in this field as a mom and raise a family,” Vomero said.
Her ability to make a meaningful impact on PBCFR and the community motivates her. Vomero has received strong support from local municipal officials. She said she sees her work with local leaders as a partnership to keep the public safe.
Vomero recognizes that fire-rescue can be a difficult career, but she added that there are several opportunities beyond firefighting and emergency medical services, from investigators to mechanics.
She encourages anyone interested in joining the fire service to be persistent. All of these roles contribute to public wellness, which makes communities like Wellington an ideal place to live.
“If you are looking for a career in the fire service, this is where you know your passion is, and where you want to be, do whatever it takes to get there,” Vomero said. “There is a place here for anybody who wants a career in the fire service.”
