Scottsdale Fire Department hosting all-female fire academy in May

PHOENIX — Scottsdale Fire Department will host an all-female academy to spark interest in the fire service on May 4th from 8 a.m. to noon at the Hontz training facility.

The Female Inspired Rescue Response Experience (FIRRE) hopes to educate women ages 16-21 about the fire service, Scottsdale Fire Department and its mission of caring for the community.

“This day will be focused on exposing them to the fire service. What is it like? What do you do? What does it take to become a firefighter? And then we will have our female firefighters (teach) the whole academy,” Scottsdale Fire Chief Tom Shannon told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Friday.

The experience is open to females only. Scottsdale residency is not required. Space is limited to 20 attendees, but registration is still open.

.@ScottsdaleFire will host an all female academy on May 4th from 8am to noon. It will be led by all female firefighters teaching them about the career, getting hands on experience, and they’ll give advice as to how to be one of the few within the male dominant job. @KTAR923 pic.twitter.com/uIDsGZ5FJ5

— Ali Vetnar (@Ali_Vetnar) April 12, 2019

Angela Lang is one of the female Scottsdale firefighters that will help run the academy. Her advice to any aspiring female firefighter is that anyone can do the job if you work hard enough, no matter if you are male or female.

“That we can do is it a big thing for women to know and understand,” Lang said.

“And women need to know we are needed. We are serving a community that has women in it and we need to present to make them comfortable.”

Scottsdale Fire Department officials told KTAR News they expect to lose two-thirds of their department to retirement in the next five years.

They are now ramping up their recruitment because of this and hope to hire more women and minorities.

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