Burlington recruiting female firefighters

Firefighting is well known as a male dominated profession. But the Burlington Fire Department is trying to change that with a training program for teenage girls. Kate Carnegie has the story.

The national average of female firefighters is only 4%. But we just got back from the training session in Burlington where that cities average is about 10%. It seems like fire stations have been trying to recruit women for years and while it may not seem like it’s working, the Burlington Fire Chief and female firefighters say it is, and this program shows that young women are interesting in that career.

“It’s often a matter of life and death. And it’s all about working as a team. These 18 young women are learning what it takes to be a firefighter.”

From learning how to use the jaws of life To repelling down a building, these teenage girls, like 15-year old Hailey Wilson, are getting a feel for the real deal: “I hope I can do something like this. It would be a dream come true. This is such an amazing job.”

There are 203 full time staff in Burlington. 21 are women. Kim Bevington is one of them. she has been a Burlington firefighter for 13 years: “Sometimes when I am going to a call I have had people take a double look saying is that a woman on that truck?”

Tony Bavota is the Burlington Fire Chief: “I think there is the perception that it is very physical job that may present challenges to women.”

But the chief says the numbers show that women have the ability and it’s just about spreading the word: “I think that there could be a stigma but also an awareness that this is a viable opportunity for women.”

And clearing up the fictional perception of the job helps too: “There is the traditional throw them over your shoulder firefighter carry. Well, we don’t do that. We have techniques and we work together as a team to be able to accomplish things together.”

Alexis Hutton is a 16-year old student: “I think it’s just because women are scared to take the risk and may not believe that they have the capability to have a career in firefighting. Do you think you do? Oh, 100% believe I can.”

Paige Heron is also 16: “The physical part about it and also to do what men can do and to show them up. I totally think women can do it.”

And it’s a good paying job. A firefighter in Burlington makes around 84-thousand dollars a year.

The 18 girls come from 7 different Burlington schools and are in grades 10 ,11 and 12. And from getting to know them on this day, there was nothing stopping these young women from going after a career in firefighting. They know they are very capable.

The Chief said this program is similar to ones that engineering schools, or trade schools offer in an effort to educate girls and show them that these are very attainable jobs.