Excerpts from abc7chicago.com:
On Thursday, the Quinn Fire Academy was flooded with dozens of young girls for the annual firefighter for a day, and the event is making an impact throughout the city.
Chicago has only had one female fire commissioner in its history, but, in a couple years, there could be more, due to the over 70 girls who stopped by the academy.
“My parents said, ‘no that job is not for you,’ and I said, ‘watch,'” Deborah Sommer said. Thirty four years later, she’s district chief of diversity and inclusion. Sommer said she didn’t have programs like this growing up.
Data show only 9% of Chicago firefighters are women, and less than 2% are Black women.
The very first female firefighter in Chicago wasn’t hired until 1974.
The district chief said the department has come a long way, but still has a lot farther to go.
For more information on how to become a firefighter, visit Chicago.gov.
#1 by Chuck on July 28, 2023 - 4:55 PM
This article is wrong. The first female firefighter was not hired until 1980. The 1974 hire was probably a CETA EMT, and I believe it was Elsbeth Miller. One of the toughest women to even man a CFD ambulance.