It is Women’s History Month, and March 8 is International Women’s Day. According to a 2020 study by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), 9% of all firefighters – both career and volunteer – are female. That number is down from 11% in 2018.
Despite making up a small portion of fire service members, women have climbed the ladder, both literally and figuratively, and made a lasting impact on the industry. Take a look at some of the incredible achievements and advancements made by and for women in the fire service over the last year, from the multiple programs introducing young women and girls to fire careers. And be on the lookout for more barrier-breaking stories in the year ahead.
1. Ill. FFs create organization to inspire young female firefighters
When Carbondale, Illinois, firefighters Abby Burnham and Courtney Looft were starting their careers, both turned to their firefighter fathers for advice and questions as they embarked on their new path.
“We were kind of rare in that we had someone to ask questions to as we started out,” Burnham said. “We recognized that not everyone is lucky enough to have that.”
In 2022, Burnham and Looft founded Badd Axe Ladies, a mentorship program “which offers young women ages 16-25 a hands-on firefighting experience to explore a career in the fire service,” culminating in a skills weekend and capped off with a live fire training exercise in full gear.
“Even if they don’t go into fire service, we want them to walk away knowing they can accomplish anything,” Looft said. “We love seeing the look on their faces when they realize what they’ve done. That’s what makes it all worth it.”
2. FDNY makes history with first female deputy chief
When she was little, Michele Fitzsimmons was told by her grandfather that “women shouldn’t be firefighters.” Fortunately, she didn’t agree with her grandfather, a second-generation FDNY firefighter who followed in his father’s foosteps. Like him, she too felt the call.
Last month, Fitzsimmons was promoted to deputy chief of the FDNY, making her the highest-ranked female in Fire Operations. She hopes her success and accompolishments serve as inspiration to little girls searching for someone who looks like them in turnout gear.
“I think there are still women out there who don’t see themselves [as firefighters], but it’s becoming more common,” Fitzsimmons said. “The ability to see women on the rigs doing the job. It makes it seem obtainable.”
For his part, when Fitzsimmons told her grandfather she had been accepted to the fire academy, he immediately offered his support, and a tongue-in-cheek joke: “I guess it’s not just the brotherhood anymore.”
3. At 78, woman becomes one of W.Va. fire department’s newest members
Peggy Paulick earned her Firefighter I certification last year, joining the Cheat Lake, West Virginia, fire department as their newest volunteer. AT 78, she’s the oldest person in the state’s history to complete the Firefighter I course.
“She did not require any special treatment, " said Mathias Gomez-Tschrnko, firefighter and public information officer for River Road Volunteer Fire Department, who observed the training class. “She did it all the same as the youth in the class.”
In completing the course and earning her certification, something shifted in her mind, she said: “I found myself looking at me differently. I don’t think I physically changed, but in my eyes I looked different.”
And she has changed — she has a new calling.
“What I’ve found is we’re all treated as equals here — it doesn’t matter how young or old you are — you’re a firefighter,” she said.
4. Ceremony held for graduates of Calif. female inmate FFing program
Britaney Gomez, 23, salutes the flag Tuesday during the graduation ceremony for her and four other women from a first-ever program to train female inmates to become firefighters. Gomez was convicted of killing two people in her hometown of Modesto while driving under the influence of marijuana when she was 16. She was one of five graduates participating in the event at St. Johns Lutheran Church in Sacramento.
Hector Amezcua/TNS
At 16, Britaney Gomez was sentenced to prison after she crashed her car while high on marijuana, killing two people. But in October 2024, she was one of five inmates to graduate from the state’s first training program geared toward women who want to be firefighters upon their release from prison.
It’s a journey she hopes honors the memory of those whose lives were cut short by her choices and tragic consequences: “I’m doing this for my victims, so their lives didn’t go in vain.”
Gomez graduated from the CAL FIRE-funded Future Fire Academy program, which is run by a former inmate who became a firefighter upon his release in 2018. It was her participation in the training that made her feel like a person again, she said.
“I was trained for hundreds of hours, training in blood, sweat and tears literally for the honor of being a first-responder,” Gomez said. “I had the honor to not be viewed as a horrible inmate, but as a firefighter.”
5. Texas FD celebrates first female fire officer in 150 years
In July 2024, the Brownsville Fire Department promoted Amanda Ely to lieutenant — the first female fire officer in the nearly 150-year history of the department.
“Congratulations to Lt. Amanda Ely on her well-deserved promotion,” Chief Jarrett Sheldon said in a press release. “Her dedication, resilience, and leadership have set a new standard for our department.”
The statement also praised Ely for serving as an example for others in the community.
“Lt. Ely’s achievement is not only a personal milestone but also a significant advancement for our community,” Sheldon said in the release. “She is a true inspiration to all of us.”
6. Female Minn. FFs, athletes create fitness program to inspire women
In St. Paul, Minnesota, three female firefighters are looking to inspire more women to join the field.
Together, Sarah Reasoner, Martha Fecht and Megan Roesler Turner founded Twin Cities Female Firefighter Fitness (TCF3) with the goal of encouraging and elevating how women see themselves and know what they’re capable of in life.
“I don’t think very many girls grow up thinking, ‘I want to be a firefighter.’ It’s not something that’s on a lot of women’s radars,” Reasoner said in an interview with The Minnesota Star Tribune. “The second part of what we’re doing is fitness and confidence because there’s a large gap in the testing process and the percentage of women being able to successfully pass the test. I think biology plays a role in that and it is what it is.”
7. ‘Just go for it': N.Y. fire department’s first female chief focuses on recruitment
When Jessica Calandra was in high school, she witnessed her grandmother suffer a near-death experience when she suffered a cardiac arrest. Luckily, first responders were able to resuscitate her, saving her life.
The crews on duty that night impacted Calandra’s life just as drastically. After the incident, she was called to become a volunteer firefighter at 19. Now, 10 years later, Calandra is the Pine Hill Fire Department’s first female chief in its history. One of her goals as chief? Recruit more women to join.
“Just go for it,” Calandra said. “You’re never going to know what its like until you try it. For me, it’s opened up a big world of possibilities. All my friends are firefighters now. I’ve grown a second family. But I think that as long as you want to do it, go for it. The passion behind something is what really matters.
This article, originally published on March, 2020, has been updated.
