By Paul Wilcoxen
The Southern Illinoisan
CARBONDALE, Ill. — When Carbondale firefighters Abby Burnham and Courtney Looft started their careers, they had the advantage of fathers who had worked in the field before them.
But as they advanced in the profession, they quickly realized that not everyone had the same access to guidance and mentorship.
“Both of our dads were career firefighters,” Burnham said. “We were kind of rare in that we had someone to ask questions to as we started out. We recognized that not everyone is lucky enough to have that.”
That’s why in 2022 they founded Badd Axe Ladies, which offers young women ages 16-25 a hands-on firefighting experience to explore a career in the fire service.
The program’s highlight is a skills weekend where candidates train in full firefighting gear, ending with a live fire exercise.
Badd Axe Ladies is a mentorship program designed to introduce young women to firefighting. The program has since grown, reaching students at multiple high schools and colleges across Southern Illinois .
“There aren’t many full-time departments that have a female firefighter on duty, much less two,” Burnham said. “We wanted to give young girls a chance to see women in this role, to ask questions and to learn that this career is possible for them.”
For Looft, firefighting was always on the horizon as she knew pretty early that she wanted to follow in her dad’s footsteps.
“I did a program in high school where I got to go to the fire department and work on basic firefighting skills,” she said. “After that, I went to college, got my fire science degree and started applying to all the departments I could.”
Burnham, however, took a different route.
“I always had an interest in it, but I didn’t really figure it out until college when I realized I didn’t want a desk job,” she said.
Since launching Badd Axe Ladies, the two have seen firsthand how exposure to firefighting changes perspectives.
“The majority of the applicants have said they didn’t even think it was possible for them to pursue this,” Burnham said. “They hadn’t considered firefighting as a career option because they weren’t exposed to it.”
Looft added that this lack of exposure is partly due to how departments recruit. She said typically when departments go on recruiting missions, they usually send male employees to represent them.
“Young women don’t get to see that this is something they can do,” Looft said. “Abby has done a great job contacting schools and making sure young women get to meet us and hear about this program.”
The program initially focused on Carbondale students but has since expanded to Murphysboro, John A. Logan College, Southern Illinois University, Carterville and Herrin. The goal is to continue growing, reaching as many young women as possible.
The program’s impact is already evident. Looft said one former participant had planned to become a history teacher before she joined Badd Axe Ladies.
“She did a complete 180,” Looft said. “After she went through our program, she decided she wanted to be a first responder. She got her EMT license and is now looking into applying at fire departments.”
Burnham said that story is not unique. She said the program has seen a number of females have gone through EMT programs or are pursing other types of fire service careers. She said it’s incredible to see how much of a difference Badd Axe Ladies is making in such a short time.
Part of what makes the program so effective is its hands-on approach. Participants shadow Burnham and Looft at the fire station, experiencing the day-to-day life of a firefighter.
“They see how we work as a team, how we cook meals together, how we always look out for each other,” Looft said.
During our skills weekend, Looft said they focus on teamwork by doing team-building exercises, and emphasizing that in firefighting, you never do a task alone.
The physical demands of firefighting can be intimidating, but Burnham and Looft stress that mental toughness is just as important.
“It’s a mental game more than anything,” Burnham said. “Your body has more to give than you realize. The minute you quit mentally, that’s when it’s over.”
The next Badd Axe Ladies event is scheduled for March 29-30 , running from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Applications for the 2025 program is due by February 15 .
For Burnham and Looft, the goal isn’t just to recruit firefighters — it’s to instill confidence in the young women who participate.
“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.”
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