Program expands opportunities for women in fire service
Utah Valley University’s (UVU) Fire Recruit Candidate Academy (RCA) Program, a division of the Department of Emergency Services, held its second annual Female Firefighter Recruiting Workshop on August 3 to encourage women to pursue careers in public safety/firefighting.
Thirty participants, some as young as 18, registered for the event, where they received hands-on training from some of Utah’s best female firefighters. The training included drills and fireground exercises, fitness tests, and lecture-based discussions from former academy graduates and veteran firefighters, creating a foundation for those who want to pursue a career in firefighting.
Brooke Savage, firefighter AEMT of the South Davis Metro Fire Service, along with Andy Byrnes, a professor in UVU’s Department of Emergency Services, recruited active female firefighters in Utah to serve as volunteer instructors. Program participants came from a variety of backgrounds.
“Women are needed in our fire departments because they bring a different set of skills and life experiences to a career traditionally led by men,” said Savage. “I’ve seen firsthand how the presence and approach of female firefighters has positively impacted different patients, including medical calls involving women who are pregnant. Women are stronger and more capable than they may think.”
In addition to Savage, program instructors included Chief Shelby Willis, Ogden City Fire Department; Chief Cindy Coombs and Abby Walz, Saratoga Springs Fire Department; Captain Joy Montoya, retired, West Jordan Fire Department; Kaylie Kuykendal, Layton City Fire Department; Rhiannon Kelly, South Davis Metro Fire Department; Emma Harris, Salt Lake City Fire Department; and Katie Ford, RCA graduate and Army second lieutenant.
By providing a safe space for women to show their firefighting potential, the workshop aims to increase the number of women in the firefighting community. Attendees are encouraged to apply their workshop experience toward careers in fire services and emergency medical services (EMS).
“We want to show women that they belong in this community and profession and are just as talented as anyone else,” said Byrnes. “This workshop is dedicated toward giving women the confidence they need to pursue a career in firefighting.”
The workshop is already producing results through the experience and encouragement it provides participants. Six attendees hold full-time positions in fire service and have noted how beneficial the workshop was for helping them to continue building their careers.
For more information about UVU’s All-Female Firefighter Recruit Workshop, see https://www.uvu.edu/es/rca/.
About Utah Valley University
At Utah Valley University, we believe everyone deserves the transforming benefits of high-quality education — and it needs to be affordable, accessible, and flexible. With opportunities to earn everything from certificates to master’s degrees, our students succeed by gaining real-world experience and developing career-ready skills. We continue to invite people to come as they are — and leave ready and prepared to make a difference in the world.
