​The South Lake Tahoe Friends of the Library Program for April 26 has been changed. Gina Geldbach-Hall, the first Las Vegas female firefighter, is taking the place of Debra Gauthier  who is unable to travel.

Gelbac​h​-Hall never intended to be a pioneer, but this “firegal” changed the firefighting world forever.

At the end of a 25-year career in fire and emergency services, Geldbach-Hall retired as a battalion chief. But the winding road she took to get to that position was fraught with turmoil, harassment and a lawsuit that took nearly 12 years of her life.

Being a female firefighter was never easy, but because of a desire to make a difference, the author persevered, changing the culture of firefighting along the way. In her memoir, “Firegal Rising from the Ashes”, she recounts in vivid detail her journey of making it in a man’s world and doesn’t shy away from the troubles she endured. Yet at its best, the work isn’t about Geldbach-Hall’s awful treatment, but how she found peace, hope and, most important, herself.

eldbach-Hall will share her stories of life as a firefighter at the South Lake Tahoe Library (1000 Rufus Allen Blvd.) at 1pm Saturday.