How Women in the Fire Service Shine

To join Americans in commemorating Women’s History Month, Firehouse wants to share with its readers reflections from seven prominent women on their years in the fire service and their career journey.

The women who participated are:

• Tina Guiler, lieutenant, Miami-Dade, FL, Fire Rescue, and CEO, Triple F (Fierce Female Firefighters)
• Tracy Kenny, chief (Ret.), Broadview, IL, Fire Department
• Kristine Larson, assistant chief, Los Angeles City Fire Department
• Alicia McCoy, fire chief (Ret.), Abbott Laboratories Fire Department, and director, Fire Service Women of Illinois
• Sharon McDonough, director, Public Safety Communications Department, Tucson, AZ
• Jeanine Nicholson, chief, San Francisco Fire Department
• Judy Thill, fire chief, Inver Grove Heights, MN, Fire Department

We asked these women to answer five questions that pertain to their service and career. Their responses reflected a commonality of experience as well as unique facets, some of which are emotional and, frankly, brave. Firehouse is very appreciative of the women’s willingness to provide the detail that they did.

Firehouse: Who did you admire/who served as an inspiration to you on your path to this point in your career?

Unsurprisingly, more than one of the women cite their parents in their answer to this question, including in regard to the support that they received from them. McDonough noted that her mother always saw her as able and smart and never let her do less than she was capable of. However, her father initially wasn’t a source of support, going as far as to tell McDonough that she was taking a job away from a man. Later, though, her father “became my biggest supporter when he saw my ability and success.”

Included among others’ responses: 

Guiler: In my late teens, I had four women friends in my life that were 10 years older than me, and they were all firefighters. I looked up to each one of them as a sister. They were all in the fire service for at least 10 years while I knew them. Each of them separately encouraged me to become a firefighter, because they knew I could do the job and I would be good at it.

Kenny: I have great admiration for Broadview, IL, Mayor Katrina Thompson. I was already the chief when she was elected to her position, and her presence elevated my position. Our ideas for community service are now encouraged and supported. Her motivating spirit gave myself and my community so much change for the better.

Larson: The person who was my inspiration was another woman in my department who paved the way by promoting through the ranks to the level of deputy chief. I worked for her when she was a captain and I was a firefighter. She offered career advice, and whenever I decided to promote she was there to help. It took me a few more stubborn years as a firefighter before I started to get serious about promoting. True to her word, she helped me navigate the promotional process successfully, as she did with many other women. She later also voluntold me for a special-duty captain’s assignment that I didn't want but that turned out to be one of the best assignments ever.

McCoy: Once I started working in a full-time department, an engineer I worked with encouraged me to continue my education, think outside of the box and to come up with solutions, not problems. I valued his opinions and felt seen as a real firefighter with a future in the fire service.

Nicholson: The woman who recruited me back in 1991 has remained a mentor my entire career. Her name is Anita Paratley. I would say everyone could use an Anita Paratley. She was strong, intuitive, smart, hardworking, genuine, funny, tenacious and a loyal friend. In fact, she still is those things.

Thill: Retired Fire Chief Scott Anderson was my boss at a different department right before being hired into my present position. For 11 years, he was my No. 1 mentor, made sure I had endless opportunities to learn, supported me as I attempted new things, was always honest and upfront, and continued to be the champion I needed to keep me moving forward and upward. He was also the one boss I had that showed me it was OK to let the firefighters know you cared about them.

Firehouse: What advice that you were given strikes you as among the most important in motivating you to press ever more onward and upward?

In consideration of this question, a number of the women recall regular dismissals of their ability and potential. Thill says that when she heard “don’t even try”—typically followed by something in the vein of “you shouldn’t or can’t do that because you are a female”—it made her not only want to prove those people wrong but also to prove her capability to herself.

“Before getting into the fire service, I had worked at a coal mine and construction sites and had very little problem working with the men,” Thill tells us, “but as a female in the fire service, I was told pretty much every step of the way that I should never expect to make it as a firefighter, learn how to pump, become an officer or rise to a chief level. It certainly wasn’t always fun, and it definitely wasn’t always easy, but looking back, it was 100 percent worth the struggle!”

Advice that others received: 

Guiler: Never let someone take away your dreams. Do what you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.

Kenny: Don’t take it personally. Still, to this day, I haven’t been very good about this advice. I consider [the firehouse] my second home and the firefighters my family. When someone does something against the grain, I blame myself. What did I do wrong that they felt this was acceptable? I then put all my efforts into making it better, because it personally affects me. Failures have made us stronger and helped us make a stronger team, but I can’t help to have those moments of beating myself up. So, I’ll flip the advice and say, “Take it personally.” People are counting on you to make it better.

Larson: It was a few male allies saying I could do it. These men were in various ranks but saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself. Captains who I worked for as a firefighter said they saw my growth as I was getting ready to be promoted to captain. A couple of African American chief officers told me I was ready and that I could do this and offered their mentorship to me. Find your allies, so their voices are louder than the naysayers!

McCoy: To let insults and perceived slights roll and to just do what I thought was right and keep improving myself and keep my head held high. Also, don’t try to change the fire service all at once, but take small steps at a time. 

McDonough: On my first day out of the academy, my first captain, Tom Elam, told me that many would think that I was just too small for the job, so we—I loved that he said “we”—were going to have to show the troops what I could do, and we did. We drilled often and with many of my peers in attendance, as we worked toward gaining trust and real acceptance. I performed well, and he made sure they noticed. He showed me that the best way to overcome adversity and minimize the naysayers was to simply show up and work hard to get where I wanted to get. I’ve kept hold of that sentiment for my whole career.

Firehouse: On what accomplishments or fireground feats during your career do you look back with most fondness/pride? Why is that? How did it further shape you going forward?

Editor’s Note: Readers shouldn’t presume that a participant’s answer isn’t the only accomplishment/fireground feat that she mentioned.

Larson was the first African American woman who was promoted to fire captain at the Los Angeles City Fire Department. It is that event of which she is most proud in her career. However, when she decided to promote, it wasn’t be the “first.” Her decision was rooted in mentoring future officers. “I had great role models for fire captain, and I used them as my barometer for what ‘right’ looked like. I tried to carry that forward to those who I prepared for the fire captain position.”

Kenny: In 2013, I created the team that started a Fire Explorer program. I have watched so many young adults from our own township thrive in this program, even becoming members of our department. From the Fire Explorers program came our girl’s empowerment camp. Every summer, the #WECANTOO camp empowers young women to be more. We invite women who are minorities in their career to speak as to how they became who they are in a male-dominated work force … I love that I can leave these powerful legacies behind.

McCoy: My time as training officer for my department. I felt I was doing the best for the fire service and women entering it by being seen as competent and teaching the new generations. I learned we are all responsible for teaching those coming in and keeping the fire service on the forward edge of knowledge and skills.

McDonough: I was the first female chief officer for the Tucson Fire Department. I can remember every detail of my badge pinning, with my three-year-old daughter on my hip and my six-year-old wrapped around my legs, my parents beaming with pride!

Toward the end of my first year as chief, a major storm blew through town, taking down 18 power poles along a half-mile stretch of road. We had poles on houses, on cars, in pools and blocking access to a senior living community. Multiple agencies were involved, and I was the incident commander. Several leaders representing the other agencies were gravitating to the male firefighters on scene for direction when I heard one particularly salty captain direct them to me, saying, “She’s in charge here—and she’s damned good at her job. Follow her orders.” That vote of confidence from a highly competent, respected and experienced captain reminded me that I was right where I was supposed to be.

Nicholson: Not just one feat but rather the breadth of experiences I had in the department [including] coming back from breast cancer. Fighting my way back to health and fitness after a double mastectomy and 16 rounds of chemotherapy at the age of 48.

Thill: Our state has always consisted of 90 percent or more volunteer/on-call firefighters, so when I became chief in 2007, many departments were just adding their first full-time chief, which made those appointments a huge deal. However, even males hired as first career chiefs who also came from outside of the department didn’t typically last very long. Furthermore, in this state and right before I was hired, there had only been one full-time female fire chief who was with a large career department. (Sadly, she was replaced with a male after only two years.) So, I had three strikes against me from the start: being the department’s first full-time chief, coming from outside of the department and being a female, but more than 15 years later, I am still here!

Firehouse: What do women firefighters need most from female leadership to help them to move up in the ranks? Why is access to this vital? 

Although the participants hit upon various matters in their answers, overt support from women officers is a theme.

Thill speaks of how in the early years of her career she was taunted and harassed, “among other things,” but didn’t really have someone to listen to her concerns, help in any way or give good, solid advice. “Most of the men were simply complacent with all the crap that was happening to me, so it was allowed to continue unchecked for years.

“Women breaking into or moving up in the fire service need an understanding ear, along with honest feedback, from female leaders,” Thill says.

 Kenny finds that very thing from Fire Service Women of Illinois. “I love that I have so many people to reach out to who understand my challenges and joy.”

That said, she adds, “This group doesn’t come together to complain and bash others, which is vital. We come together to make all of our jobs better.”

Guiler has a private group on Facebook, Triple F, that has more than 7,100 members from 58 countries. “I feel female firefighters should have access to speak to other experienced female firefighters to learn about their experiences and how they navigated those experiences.” She adds, “It is important for women to be able to train together and discuss any obstacles or ask any questions they might have. [In the Triple F Facebook group] we talk about everything. It’s a great support network to be able to turn to.”

In conjunction with the participants’ mention of overt support was the importance of simply seeing women as officers and chiefs.

“The more other women see the possibilities, the more likely they are to become officers themselves,” McCoy says.

Larson adds, “Having women in leadership positions shows newer members that it can be done, even though it won’t be easy!”

Multiple women discussed the importance of supporters who are men, too.

McDonough: Women need champions—both male and female. They need someone to hear them, mentor them, take interest in them and instill confidence in them. When we start by just being vulnerable, we allow others to do the same, and real conversation happens. I pride myself on mentoring up-and-comers, both male and female, who are in the profession for all of the right reasons. I want to encourage them to be brave enough to help our fire service remain relevant, agile, efficient and safe. Sometimes this means challenging the norm—in a positive way. Providing guidance as they introduce new ideas and allowing them to take ownership of the process, results and adjustments is a game-changer for them, providing growth and preparing them for increasing levels of leadership.

Nicholson: Men need to step up and be allies for women to ensure women are getting the same mentoring that many others in the fire service are offered. Knowledge sharing is huge … in addition, succession planning programs with an equity lens are imperative. In other words, if someone is a single mother, they may not be able to go take a class off duty that will help them promote. Departments should determine what classes and trainings are important for all their members to succeed and offer them in house.

Thill: Women shouldn’t focus solely on getting advice from other females, making sure to also find male champions who are respected fire service leaders. There are still men who will not listen when women try and promote other women, but those same men will listen to other men.

Keep in touch with your peers as you move up the ladder, especially ones that share your ambition. Those peers can become your champions along the way, and when you get to the top, they will be your most trusted confidants.

Firehouse: What advice do you have for women who want to climb the career ladder?

Larson offered several pieces of advice, including:

• Make sure that you include your family in the decision
• Build your résumé with all of the required classes and as many more in which you can enroll
• If you don’t have a college degree, start working on one
• If you join a study group, make sure that everyone participates; if they don’t, do it on your own

Editor’s Note: Larson also urges women to work on special assignments to bolster their name and their writing ability. The latter ties in with our recent article, “The Importance of English Skills for Fire Service Members.”

Suggestions from the other participants include:

Guiler: Not every firefighter is meant to become an officer. My advice is if you are thinking about getting promoted, do it! Get promoted as soon as it is an option for you in your department. Don’t wait. It’s such a rewarding position, and it changes the way you think and feel about the fire service.

Kenny: You don’t get to leadership roles by climbing over each other. Every opportunity you have to help another person in the fire service teaches you how to be better. Getting into a leadership position isn’t about the title; it’s about making the time for others and always seeking out a better way to do this job. I have made the most significant changes in my department by engaging in the coffee table discussions. The honest needs come out at the table. Listen intently and ask questions. You are only as good as those you lead. Make sure they know that.

McCoy: Get all the training and education you can, and don’t be afraid of stepping up and taking on responsibility.

McDonough: Do it your way, be excellent, be genuine and never stop moving. Don’t try to adopt someone else’s flavor; it won’t ring true. Let the little stuff be the little stuff and choose the important battles. Be a life-long learner. Be willing to share your thought process and always be willing to hear the perspective of others. At the end of the day, it’s between you and the mirror. Did you do the right things for the right reasons? Always be able to say, “Yes.” Turn off the light, get a good night’s sleep and get back at it the next day.

Nicholson: As Shirley Chisholm said a long time ago, if there isn’t a seat at the table for you, bring a folding chair. We need access to the meetings where policy is discussed and decisions are made. Build relationships. Learn everything you can. Ask questions from Day One in the fire service. Never stop learning. Ask for constructive feedback. And remember, “imposter syndrome” [the psychological occurrence in which people doubt their skills, talents or accomplishments and have a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as frauds] is just that. A syndrome. It doesn’t mean it’s the truth. Find your grit, your tenacity and use it.

Thill: Push hard, but also be kind to yourself by allowing time to celebrate even your little wins, so you are ready to hit that next challenge head on.

Our participants’ careers:

Tina Guiler was hired as a firefighter by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, in Miami, FL, in 1999. In 2003, she achieved her pumper driver certification and became a paramedic. Guiler was promoted to lieutenant in 2004. She worked on trucks for 18 years and then bid into the fire prevention division in 2017. Guiler now works as a fire inspector, inspecting all new construction buildings in Miami. She also is part of the department’s peer support team. In 2015, she started Triple F (Fierce Female Firefighters). In 2018, Guiler was diagnosed with breast cancer that resulted from her firefighting duties. After going through chemotherapy, surgeries and radiation treatments, she now is cancer free.

Tracy Kenny became the first female fire chief of the Broadview, IL, Fire Department in 2015. She retired in 2023. Prior to her appointment as fire chief, Kenny served as a firefighter/paramedic for 13 years and was promoted to deputy chief and training officer in 2014. She is a member of the International Women's Fire Chiefs Council, the past president of Metropolitan Fire Chiefs of Illinois, a board member for Illinois Medal of Honor Committee and past president for the Division 20 Benevolent Fund, which serves as assistance for firefighter mental health awareness and services. Kenny started the Fire Explorer Program for youths in Broadview and surrounding areas. In 2018, she started camp #WECANTOO, which educates young girls on the ability to do jobs that were once male-dominated. She has an associate degree in fire science and is a Chief Fire Officer through the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

Kris Larson is a 32-year veteran of the Los Angeles City Fire Department (LAFD) and currently holds the rank of assistant chief. In her early career, she held the rank of fire inspector and subsequently was the first African American woman to be promoted to the rank of Captain I, Captain II, battalion chief and assistant chief in the history of the LAFD. Larson also was the first African American woman to serve as drill master for the Fire Academy. Her current assignment with the LAFD is starting the new Equity Division. Larson earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology from UCLA. She went on to graduate summa cum laude from Capella University with a master’s degree in public service leadership with an emphasis in emergency management. She is completing a DEI certification program through Cornell University. Larson serves as president of Los Angeles Women in the Fire Service. Larson is a founding member of Equity in Fire, which is a grassroots coalition of firefighters, civil rights leaders and community members that works to achieve equity and an end to discrimination in the fire service. In 2022, Larson was awarded the Rosa Parks Humanitarian Award from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Southern California for her work with Equity in Fire.

Alicia McCoy retired in 2021 from Abbott Laboratories Fire Department, where she served as fire chief during her 24-year tenure on the department. All told, she spent 36 years working in Northern Illinois in various roles in volunteer, part-time and full-time departments. McCoy is a founding member, past president and a current director of Fire Service Women of Illinois. She also serves as a board member of the Illinois MABAS Foundation. McCoy runs a training and consulting business, where she frequently addresses groups to empower girls and women and to provide a view into the ways that outlook and environment can be changed and how to break the mold when entering a nontraditional role. 

Sharon McDonough is the director of Public Safety Communications Department in Tucson, AZ, which houses the city's 9-1-1 center. Previously, she was deputy chief over the EMS Division for the Tucson, AZ, Fire Department (TFD). She was hired by TFD in 1990, progressing through the ranks of firefighter, paramedic, captain, battalion chief and deputy chief and served a two-year appointment as interim operations assistant chief. McDonough has managed fire operations, medical administration, safety and the 9-1-1 communications center, developing and implementing innovative solutions to long-standing and trending industry issues. 

Jeanine Nicholson is the chief of the San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD). She began her career with the SFFD in 1994 as a firefighter EMT. Nicholson promoted through the ranks of firefighter paramedic, lieutenant, captain and battalion chief. In 2018, she was appointed deputy chief of administration and oversaw numerous divisions. Nicholson is a member of the California Fire Chiefs Association and California Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association and sits on the board of directors of Firescope (Firefighting Resources of California Organized for Potential Emergencies). She is a breast cancer survivor and served on the board of the San Francisco Firefighters Cancer Prevention Foundation. Nicholson holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology and anthropology from Colgate University. Under her leadership, SFFD’s Street Crisis Response Team and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Office came about.

In 2007, the city of Inver Grove Heights, MN, hired Judy Thill as the first full-time fire chief to lead the department. Thill started her 34-year fire service career in 1989 as a paid-on-call firefighter with the Eagan, MN, Fire Department while also working as safety manager for Northwest Airlines. She was hired full time by the Maple Grove, MN, Fire-Rescue Department in 1996, serving as deputy chief for 11 years while continuing with Eagan as an on-call firefighter. Thill holds a Bachelor of Science degree in safety management and has completed all coursework toward a master’s degree in business administration. She received full scholarships to attend Harvard University’s Senior Executives in State and Local Government program and the Naval Postgraduate School’s Executive Leaders program at the Center for Defense and Homeland Security. Thill is a member of Firehouse Magazine’s Editorial Advisory Board and of the National Volunteer Fire Council Board of Directors. She received the International Association of Fire Chiefs VCOS John M. Buckman III Leadership Award and the Minnesota State Fire Chiefs Association Fire Officer of the Year Award.