Make way for the ladies
The first all-women cadet class in HFD history lives the firefighter life, ridesalong on the dream
Huynh Ha, a cadet in the first all-female firefighter training class, beams nextto the engine at Station 55 in Houston's South Union, where she spent a hands-onday on the job.Photo by Fayza A. Elmostehi
Beryl-Lynn Strong, Station 55 senior captain and one of the lead instructors ofthe HCC training program, teaches the female cadets the ins and outs of firedepartment life, customs, and procedures.
Everyone knows that firefighters are society's eternal heroes. Between rescuing kittens from trees to saving damsels in distress from burning buildings, these men in uniform are the quintessential good guys.
But what about the brave ladies in uniform? What about the good girls?
It's no secret that the Houston Fire Department is woefully lacking in women. "Of the nearly 4,000 firefighters in the city, only about 100 of them are female," said HFD Station 55 senior captain Beryl-Lynn Strong.
In some sense, the department is also still trying to move past a July 2009 incident when two female firefighters found sexist and racist graffiti written on their lockers and personal belongings at Fire Station 54.
Instead of sitting back and waiting for the equilibrium to shift, Strong and 14 other female firefighter comrades joined Rufus Summers, former Bellaire fire chief and chair of the Houston Community College fire technology program, in creating the first all-female firefighter cadet training class in December 2010 at HCC.
On Thursday, these 10 intrepid lady cadets were offered the opportunity to experience a hands-on, day-in-the-life of a firefighter at 10 stations in the Houston area. They will graduate from the 20-week program later this month.
"All of the women rode along on the engines," Strong said. "They accompanied the crew on all runs for the day."
Cadet Huynh Ha was assigned to Station 55 for a 24-hour shift on Thursday. "I went on a sick call, and a cardiac arrest call," she said.
A former member of the U.S. Army, Ha earned her bachelor's degree in environmental science. After graduation, she had trouble finding satisfaction in her career choices. But when her sister was diagnosed with breast cancer, she began considering the medical field as an option.
"I took EMT school in the evening," she said, "I liked it and wanted to be a paramedic. And in order to be a paramedic, you have to be a firefighter."
Ha is already EMT-certified, but this go-getter isn't stopping there. "I know it's a physically demanding job," she admitted. "But I never want to look back and regret not doing it."
When Ha graduates from the program in a few weeks, she'll have to earn her spot in the fire department, like any new recruit. Completion of the course will earn her a firefighter certification, part of the credentials needed for hiring eligibility as a firefighter.
But she is guaranteed to be a part of an elite group of women that HFD hopes will change and diversify the face of the city's first responders.
"Our next class will begin around Aug. 16," Strong said. "We already have a waiting list of 30."
It might be one small step for woman, but it's one giant leap for womankind.
