Nearly 50 women with aspirations of joining the fire service gathered with about two dozen instructors this past weekend at South County Fire’s training grounds for the third annual Future Women in EMS & Fire Workshop, with some traveling from across the United States and Canada.
Participants engaged in a variety of hands-on activities—from handling hose and throwing ladders to operating chainsaws and forcing open doors. The event is designed to introduce women to both the EMS and firefighter sides of the job, allowing them to learn directly from experienced female professionals from fire agencies across Snohomish County.
“They walk away with some confidence, they get that little bit of experience,” said Everett Fire Department Firefighter/Paramedic Julia Sargent. “They get that confidence putting on the bunker gear for the first time or climbing that ladder or holding a chainsaw. They get that excitement [and] they say, I can do this”.
While women make up just 9% of U.S. firefighters and 5% of career personnel[1], South County Fire is working to outpace national trends, currently employing 38 female firefighters (just under 11% of the agency’s total uniformed personnel).
South County Chief Shaughn Maxwell noted that these recruitment efforts are vital to the future of the department:
“There are real workforce challenges in the fire service, and I think this is one of the ways that we can counteract that and bring more diversity into the fire service,” Chief Maxwell said. “But what it also does is help us reflect our community more — and when we have that diversity, we can better serve the community because we can make a better connection with them.”
The workshop is already demonstrating local impact with former participants, like South County Firefighter Arleigh Bjorling, now returning as instructors. Bjorling attended the inaugural workshop in 2024 with no prior fire experience, which she credits with giving her the confidence to pursue the career.
“It’s a really fulfilling and rewarding full circle moment,” Bjorling said, “Just getting to see those moments for these [women] here today, where it clicks for them, too. I kind of see myself in that a little bit, and it just kind of takes me back to that moment and when I felt like, yeah, I can, I can really do this”.
Twelve fire agencies partnered to make this event possible: South County Fire, Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue, Everett Fire, Marysville Fire, Snohomish County Fire District 4, Snohomish County Fire District 19, Snohomish County Fire District 5, Mukilteo Fire Department, North County Fire, Granite Falls Fire, Sky Valley Fire, East Pierce Fire and Rescue, Camano Fire.
[1] U.S. Fire Department Profile, National Fire Protection Association: https://www.nfpa.org/education-and-research/research/nfpa-research/fire-statistical-reports/us-fire-department-profile
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
