A 16-year firefighting veteran, Capt. Rebecca Tyo has been named the new chief of the Rockford Fire Department.

Tyo was chosen from among a field of five strong finalists after a national search to choose a successor to Chief Michele Pankow, who made history as the first woman to lead the department.

"I can't say enough about the other candidates who were in this process because they're all phenomenal people, and I feel very lucky to even be in the same group as them," Tyo said.

Tyo will earn an annual salary of $182,853 as chief.

Here are five things to know about Tyo.

Plans for department

Although Tyo said the department must continue to adapt to a growing number of calls for service, she has no plans for wholesale changes. She said there are coverage gaps that must be addressed. B

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