Women Firefighters

Firefighting is not solely a male domain anymore. Women also work as firefighters and according to the International Association of Women in Fire and Emergency Services, there are over 6,000 females working for fire departments across the the United States.

Women hold ranks in various fire departments ranging from engineer to sergeant, and all the way up to department chief.

If you are a woman who is interested in this kind of work, keep in mind that there are required attributes for success that are not limited to one gender. For example, a person who is going to be a successful firefighter is someone who can take in a lot of information and adapt to a situation very quickly.

Being able to work as part of a team is a key part of a firefighting career. Someone who is interested in this kind of job must also be mature and reliable. Good communication skills and a certain amount of flexibility are also required.

Anyone, male or female, who is looking for a career as a firefighter must be in good physical shape to be able to handle the demands of the training and the job itself. Eating well and having a healthy lifestyle are an important part of being able to perform well after getting hired.

The hours may be irregular, and anyone who is interested in working as a firefighter must realize that they will be expected to work a variety of shifts. Days off may not fall on a “normal” weekend, and if the firefighters are out on a call, they may need to stay on scene past the time when they would normally be off duty.

The work of a firefighter can be challenging, but it can be very rewarding as well. One way for prospective firefighters to see whether they would like to take up this kind of work full time is to start by training to be a volunteer firefighter.