RICHMOND, Va. — More than half of Richmond Fire Department's newest graduating class are women, marking a historic milestone for the department.
Captain Jamila Flowers, who joined the department in 2001, has witnessed the evolution firsthand.
"When I first came in, I was the 11th female hired," Flowers said.
After 24 years with the department, Flowers has risen from recruit to training captain and now helps both men and women complete fire academy training.
"Back then, you know, this was not a sought out field for females, and it still isn't, but more and more we're seeing more and more females," Flowers said.
The most recent graduating class made department history with 59% of the 22 graduates being women.
"I was like, man, there's more females than it is males," Flowers said.
Za'nae Salam and Rowan Lacey were among the female graduates who completed the rigorous training program.
"I did a little EMS before this, and doing that, I saw a lot of firefighters. I work alongside them, and it was just something that I thought would be challenging and I'll grow," Salam said.
"I used to work in crisis mental health. And I really loved helping people, but also really loved the crisis side of things and the fast pace," Lacey said.
Both women were surprised by the number of female classmates on their first day at the academy.
"When I first wanted to be a firefighter, I didn't see many women as firefighters, so come in and see my classmates, like a lot of women, it made me excited," Salam said.
Flowers shared in that excitement as she guided the class through their training.
"When they were walking across the stage and I'm handing them their badge, I just was like, they've done it," Flowers said.
"They've gone through the same training as their counterparts, and they've made it every step of the way, and they weren't given handouts," she added.
Despite the challenges, both Salam and Lacey reflect on their training with pride.
"I think it's easy to get down on yourself, but it's helped me to remind myself that I'm part of a team. We all have different strengths," Lacey said.
"My first time actually putting a fire out, that was probably the best day of my life. I was in there like, 'Oh my god,'" Salam said.
As members of Richmond's newest firefighter class, they hope to inspire the next generation of female firefighters.
"I think that representation is really good, and it's going to be amazing to have us out in the field and be like that for other young women that want to join," Salam said.
"If you're willing to work hard, physically and work hard mentally, anyone of any gender can do this job," Lacey said.
While applications are not currently open for a new recruit class, more information about the process can be found on the Richmond Fire Department's website.
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