License to Thrive

In the words of Kara McCurdy

"Being a female firefighter is kind of like tripping over your own two feet, you fall, it hurts, but you just get back up and keep going, grinning and bearing it the whole time.  I was only 14 yrs old when my father asked me to go to the fire hall with him, might of had something to do with me whining that I was bored. So I went, and the first thing he did was pick up an application form (He was chief) and told me to fill it out and that I was joining!  Not entirely my life’s ambition, but I thought, why not try it!  I was the only girl, not only in my department, but the surrounding ones, and the tension from that was so thick, some couldn't take it... “It's wrong to have a girl”, “she's too young!”, and “she'll never make it”. Well, I stuck it out, I did all the training, I went on all the calls, I eventually became captain of the juniors. Some guys left the hall because they didn't like me there, but others thought I was an inspiration. At the ripe old age of 16, dad pulled another fast one on me, the year after one of the largest forest fires here in Nova Scotia occurred, he asked me if I'd apply for the Department of Natural Resources Fire Crew.  I did apply, not thinking it would lead anywhere....I was hired!  Same story, “She'll never make it”, “she's not strong enough”. I even had trouble with sexual harassment and verbal abuse at times, but 14 years in the Department and 17 years with the fire service, I'm still here, working at both. I'm permanent with the Department of Natural Resources as a Forest technician and a Captain with Station 38 Fire Dept. I don't regret a day, it's a lot of work, and you have to be tough, I see a lot of sick people, burnt people, dead people, you name it. If there is any advice I could give to the girls interested in the fire service it is keep on tripping over your own two feet, the reward physically and the lives you save are worth all the bruises."