WORKING FIRE: RECRUITMENT 

AND RETENTION OF WOMEN 

FIRE FIREFIGHTERS 

HOW TODAY’S LEADERS CAN MAKE FACT-SUPPORTED DECISIONS AND IMPROVE THE FIRE SERVICE 

EFO SYMPOSIUM NATIONAL FIRE ACADEMY 

APRIL 14, 2023 
 

 

 

 

 

 

HEATHER MARQUES 

DIVISION CHIEF, MEDICAL SERVICES 

ALAMEDA COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT 

• BA, UC BERKELEY: ANTHROPOLOGY 

• AS, NAPA VALLEY COLLEGE: PARAMEDICINE 

• LOS ANGELES FIRE DEPARTMENT LEADERSHIP ACADEMY 

• MA, NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL: SECURITY STUDIES 

• CSFA, CHAIR STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE 

• 17 YEARS FIRE SERVICE 

• BARTENDER 10 YEARS (CODE FOR COUNSELOR, PRIEST, IC, LOGS CHIEF) 

• PUBLICATIONS: ALAMEDA COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT HISTORY BOOK, HUMAN 

TRAFFICKING AWARENESS POLICY, CHALLENGES IN DIVERSIFYING THE FIRE 

SERVICE , THESIS -WORKING FIRE: RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION OF WOMEN 

FIREFIGHTERS 

 

 

WHY ISN’T RECRUITMENT 

WORKING? 

WOMEN COMPRISE ONLY ABOUT 

4.4 PERCENT OF THE US FIRE 

SERVICE'S CAREER FIREFIGHTING 

WORKFORCE., THERE ARE 

APPROXIMATELY 14,800 WOMEN, 

WHILE 380,000 MEN SERVE AS 

PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTERS. THESE 

NUMBERS ARE HIGHER AMONG 

WILDLAND FIREFIGHTERS AND 

VOLUNTEER DEPARTMENTS, WHILE 

THE COVETED POSITIONS IN 

MUNICIPAL CAREER DEPARTMENTS 

HAVE LONG BEEN A STRONGHOLD 

OF MEN. IT IS THE MOST GENDERIMBALANCED INDUSTRY IN THE US. 

THE FOUR GATES FOR THE FEMALE FIREFIGHTER 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE PHYSICALITY GATE 

• THE FIRST POINT OF ELIMINATION FOR FEMALE CANDIDATES 

• ATTRIBUTED AS THE PRIMARY REASON NUMBERS ARE HISTORICALLY LOW 

• INACCURATELY COMPARED TO LE AND MILITARY DESPITE “EQUALIZERS” 

LAW ENFORCEMENT, LIKE THE MILITARY, CAN EQUALIZE THEIR FORCE USING FIREARMS 

AND WEAPONS, MECHANIZED TOOLS, AND TECHNOLOGIES. A FEMALE FIGHTER PILOT 

HAS HER AIRCRAFT, A PATROL OFFICER HAS HER GUN AND TASER, BUT A FIREFIGHTER 

HAS A COMBINED WEIGHT ON HER BODY OF APPROXIMATELY 100-130 POUNDS 

INCLUDING HER PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE) AND SCBA, AND ON A THREE-PERSON 

ENGINE COMPANY MAY BE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THROWING A 28' LADDER, 

RETRIEVING A 60LB SET OF EXTRICATION SPREADERS, CARRYING GENERATORS, FANS, 

EXTINGUISHERS, AND ADVANCING CHARGED HOSE LINES . RAW PHYSICAL STRENGTH 

IS AN INEXORABLE COMPONENT OF FIREFIGHTING. 


 

 

THE SOCIOCULTURAL GATE 

• OUT-GROUPING AND “OTHERING” 

• LACK OF SUPERVISION AND LEADERSHIP 

• FAILURE TO TAKE COMPLAINTS SERIOUSLY RESULTING IN 

DISCRIMINATION, SEXUAL HARASSMENT, ASSAULT, AND RAPE 

CASES BEING UNREPORTED OR UNPUNISHED 

• REFUSAL TO WORK WITH OR FOR A FEMALE COLLEAGUE 

• DENIAL OF BIDS 

• EXCLUSION FROM SPECIAL TEAMS, ACTIVITIES, AND TRAININGS 

• THE WRONG-WAY TROUT 



 

 

 

 

THE PARENTING GATE 

• REPRODUCTIVE THREATS WITH TOXIC EXPOSURES, HIGH INCIDENCE OF INFERTILITY AND 

MISCARRIAGE 

• LACK OF MATERNITY LEAVE AND PREGNANCY POLICIES 

• LACK OF POST-PARTUM CARE AND CONSIDERATION (LIGHT DUTY, PT, RECOVERY TIME) 

• ACCOMMODATIONS FOR BREASTFEEDING (LACTATION SPACES, MILK STORAGE) 

• CHILDCARE WITH SHIFT WORK REQUIRES A ROBUST PERSONAL INFRASTRUCTURE OF 

EXTENDED FAMILY, PAID HELP 

• COST TO SUPPORT MOTHERS IS MINOR WHEN CONSIDERING IT WILL BE A FRACTION OF 

AN ALREADY SMALL POPULATION. DO YOU HAVE A MATERNITY LEAVE PLAN? 
 

 

 

 

Researchers Studying Stress, Cancer Risk and 

Reproductive Toxicity in Women Firefighters

Wednesday, January 27, 2021 

A $1.5 million FEMA grant is funding a University of 

Arizona Health to study the occupational health risks to 

female firefighters 

3-YEAR FEMA 

STUDY REVEALS 

HIGH RISKS 

• THE RESEARCH REVEALED THAT 

FOR FEMALE FIREFIGHTERS, 27% 

OF PREGNANCIES ENDED IN 

MISCARRIAGE. THE RATE IS 

HIGHER THAN THE PUBLISHED 

RATE FOR PREGNANCIES IN THE 

LITERATURE, WHICH WAS 13.5%. 

ADDITIONALLY, RATES OF PRETERM BIRTH WERE 11.6%-16.7%, 

WHICH IS HIGHER THAN THE 

NATIONAL AVERAGE OF 10%.F 

 

 

THE 

PROMOTIONAL 

GATE 

• UNCONSCIOUS BIAS AND NORMALIZATION OF 

MISOGYNY 

• MISTRUST OF FEMALE LEADERSHIP IN COMMAND 

ROLES (THE BATTLEFIELD PARABLE) 

• FAILURE TO NURTURE FEMALE TALENT 

• LACK OF MENTORSHIP. WOMEN NEED MALE 

MENTORS 

• FOCUS ON GROWING AND RETAINING YOUR 

WOMEN 
THE IMPORTANCE OF MALE 

MENTORSHIP 

Intelligence Quotient Emotional Quotient 

Social Quotient Resiliency Quotient 

 

 

 

 

 

KEYS TO SUCCESS 

FOR WOMEN 

LEADERS 

RESEARCH SHOWS THAT 

WOMEN IN CHIEF OFFICER ROLES 

(ESTIMATED AT LESS THAN 200 IN 

CAREER FIRE IN US) HAVE A 

“COMBINATION OF GRIT AND A 

GREAT SENSE OF HUMOR.” 

(CONTURSI, 2019) 
 

 

 

 

 

 

REIMAGINING YOUR FIREHOUSE 

• IS YOUR FIRE DEPARTMENT A FAMILY OR A TEAM? 

• IF IT IS A FAMILY, DO YOU HAVE ROOM FOR THE MOTHERS AND SISTERS, THE ELDERS 

AND THE YOUNGERS? DO YOU KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH DYSFUNCTIONAL 

BEHAVIORS AND TRIBALISM? 

• IF IT IS A TEAM, CAN WE MAINTAIN VARSITY-LEVEL STANDARDS? 

• MAKING YOURSELF ATTRACTIVE TO FEMALE CANDIDATES AND UNDER-RERPESENTED 

GROUPS: GET YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER 
 

 

 

HEALTH AND WELLNESS 

FOCUS IS THE KEY TO 

RETENTION 

• TAKING AFFIRMATIVE STEPS TOWARD CHECKING IN, 

MONITORING THE MESSES, AND MAKING SURE YOUR 

TEAM IS SAFE 

• PEOPLE NEED TO BE HEARD. LISTEN. 

• PRIORITIZE KINDNESS AND COMPASSION AND 

REWARD POSITIVE LEADERSHIP 

• DISCIPLINE AND REDIRECT UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIORS 

• THE LAW OF ATTRACTION STATES “LIKE ATTRACTS 

LIKE”. CREATE A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT AND 

ATTRACT HEALTHY PEOPLE. 

Heather Marques 

Heather.marques@acgov.org 

510-693-3406 

r 

ThanThank you.