In a blaze of excitement, young girls embraced the opportunity to step into the world of firefighting at a Girls Inc. event hosted by the Chicago Fire Department on Thursday.
About 70 girls ages 6 to 14 learned what it takes to be a firefighter while rotating through various stations, engaging in hands-on tasks such as performing CPR, trying on firefighter gear and spraying fire hoses.
The event, “2023 Girls Inc. Firefighter for A Day,” was held at the Quinn Fire Academy, 558 W. DeKoven St. About 18 Chicago firefighters and paramedics led the various activities teaching the girls about fire safety alongside staff from the Chicago chapter of Girls Inc., a national nonprofit serving and empowering young girls.
Cynthia Herring, deputy fire commissioner of the fire department’s fire prevention bureau, kicked off the event by explaining what female firefighters do and what their careers entail. Herring, who was one of five women among 120 men in her graduating firefighter class in 1990, said it’s significant that the girls at the event showed interest in a field where women are underrepresented. According to the National Fire Protection Association, in 2020 about 9% of firefighters were women.
“If you see a girl firefighter, you’re in good hands,” Herring said.
At the CPR station, a group of girls listened to instructors tell them how to perform the procedure on both adults and babies. Mannequin busts were set up around the room to allow the girls to perform chest compressions.
Addy Daniels, 8, said her favorite part was being able to practice compressions on the mannequin.
“You’ve got to go hard and fast,” Addy said of performing CPR.
Khamira Scott, 8, also said she enjoyed practicing chest compressions, adding that it’s important to learn how to do CPR to get someone’s heart beating again.
Outdoors, girls were able to use a fire hose and spray down orange traffic cones. Krystal-Marie Grant, 12, said she was surprised by how fast the water came out of the hose, and her favorite part was turning the water off and on.
“I most definitely had fun spraying the hose and knocking down the cone,” Krystal-Marie said.
At another station trying on firefighter gear, Brooklyn Kimble, 10, said the equipment was very heavy, but she understands why, given that it’s meant to withstand fire. Though Brooklyn said she’s not sure if she’d personally be a firefighter because of what a sacrifice the job is, she admires firefighters and all that they do.
“If firefighters weren’t here, it would be like the Great Chicago Fire again,” Brooklyn said. .
Alongside Brooklyn was Laila Terry, 9, who said she had fun trying on the firefighter gear, and her favorite part was trying on the pants. Laila said one day she hopes to be a firefighter and paramedic.
“You never know if there’s a fire next door or if someone needs help,” Terry said.
Sandra Chlebowicz, a firefighter/EMT who’s worked for the fire department about five years, said she enjoyed teaching the girls how to use all the fire tools and seeing their faces light up as they learned more about the job.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” Chlebowicz said to a group of girls. “You know you can do anything, right?”
Jade Ivy, the senior development and events associate of the Chicago chapter of Girls Inc., said she enjoyed seeing all the girls approach the activities with fearlessness and enthusiasm. She said the organization hopes to expose girls to nontraditional careers and show them that they can succeed in male-dominated fields.
“It’s very important to us to introduce girls to women in leadership,” Ivy said referencing Herring and Annette Nance-Holt, the city’s first female fire commissioner.
