By Sydney Melson
There are no glass ceilings in the Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service Department (BFRS).
In 2020, three females were promoted to the rank of captain Nina Taylor, Sarah Johnson, and Florence Bradley all attained the rank of captain in the department, which has more than 600 employees.
“These three women were all selected for captain because of their abilities to lead,” said BFRS Chief Cory Moon. “What these selections prove is that women don’t have that glass ceiling that has been assumed. It shows that females can lead just like males.”
Over 150 years, BFRS had only had two female captains.
By Sydney Melson
The Birmingham Times
Nina Taylor, hired on Dec. 22, 2003, said her road to her captain was a tough one.
“We took tests almost two years in advance for the promotion,” she said. “I’ve always felt that what is written in a book never prepares you for what you’ll see in the community. If the book says you have to get a blood pressure and rate of respiration then perform CPR on a person who’s unconscious, it doesn’t prepare you for someone who has been in a car accident and has a limb hanging off. You need to reassure them without saying, ‘I’m going to save your life.’ When people are in distress, they maneuver differently.”
By Sydney Melson
The Birmingham Times
Sarah Johnson, a native of Adamsville, Alabama, was hired on Dec. 28, 2004. The first female safety officer for the department, her interest in the fire department started with family, as well.
“I have a brother who retired as a BFRS battalion chief [in May 2019]. … He always talked about how it was the best job in the world, and he couldn’t imagine doing anything else,” she recalled. “I got to a point in my life where I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, so I decided to give it a shot.”
Johnson, who attended Columbia Southern University in Orange Beach, Alabama, in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in occupational health and safety, worked hard to learn as much as she could about the BFRS.
By Sydney Melson
The Birmingham Times
Being captain is an honor, said Florence Bradley, who was hired to work with the BFRS on Aug. 23, 1993.
“You’ve got to have experience and knowledge. You have to be a good leader, a good teacher, and an excellent communicator. It takes a lot of hard work to get here,” she said. “Compassion is very important. That’s a big part of this. If someone [on my crew] is having trouble learning a new thing or having family issues, I really want to know about it and help if I can. Being a firefighter, it’s very important that you’re healthy both physically and emotionally.”
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