There is a small percentage of female firefighters across the United States.
West Manchester Township Fire Department in York County says they have more than a dozen firefighters, six of whom are female.
“The camaraderie with everybody in the department is just something beyond words, really. Knowing that somebody has your back, your part of a team, and you’re accomplishing something to help your community,” said volunteer firefighter Michelle Coletti-Iacono.
Michelle Coletti-Iacono says she has been a volunteer firefighter since 1993. Roxie Tate says she has been a volunteer firefighter since 1979. Both women grew up in the Midstate.
“I got involved in the fire service, thanks to my brother back in the day when we were teenagers. I like being a firefighter because with our fire department, it’s like a family-oriented type atmosphere,” said volunteer firefighter Roxie Tate.
According to the nonprofit, Women in Fire, statistics show that in 2020, there are about 90,000 female firefighters in the United States, that is 9% of all firefighters.
“The bottom line is, is if you have an interest in being a firefighter, the only thing you can do is is try it. It’s a physical job. So, there are parts of the job when you’re out on live incident that’s very demanding. However, it also can be very rewarding as well.”