POLK COUNTY, Fla. — A special set of girls got a unique hands-on experience from the Lakeland Fire Department.
Nearly a dozen young women got a first-hand look at what it takes to be a firefighter. The students are from the Pace Center for Girls in Lakeland, a year-round school for at-risk girls.
“The hose, it was really nice learning how to hold it and seeing how they do it,” said Sandra D, a Pace Center student.
This field trip allows the girls to learn more about what it takes to be a firefighter and see the career potential for women in the fire service.
“Especially now that I'm getting close to finishing high school, it’s really nice to see what’s out there,” Sandra said.
It is part of the Lakeland Fire Department’s Igniting Change: Women in the Fire Service Campaign, aimed at attracting women to the male-dominated industry.
“Nationwide, only about 4% of firefighters are female and it’s been that way as long as I’ve been in the business, and nothing has changed in that. So, we’re focusing a lot on that,” said Doug Riley, Lakeland Fire Department Chief.
Chief Riley said the Lakeland Fire Department currently has seven female firefighters out of the department’s 188 total. He hopes this experience will motivate these young women to join their ranks.
“As a society, we sold firefighting as a big husky male profession, so we got to change that perception. The big thing, I think, is the women that actually come here, they’re very successful in the job and they do a 30-plus year career,” said Riley.
