Mass. Dept. Has First Female firefighters in 386 year history!!( 051606) firefighters Mag

WOW, there First female firefighter in a history that has been over 386 years. That is amazing that they have not jumped into the 21st centurey faster then this. Mass. should be assamed of themselves for not allowing Woman the oppertunity to have girls on the team. In Rialto we have a Woman that has worked her way all the way up to Capt. She was the first Capt in the Inland Empire. I am not sure if she is still working here in Rialto or not, but she was the first and that was back in 93, or 94 something like that...

I am happy that the East is finally catching up to the West, it was back in the late 1800's when the West was Uncivlised and the East was all civilised..weird how times has changed!!

BSRancher

Massachusetts Department Has First Female In 386 Year History

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TAMARA RACE The Patriot Ledger For the first time in its 386-year history, Plymouth has a female firefighter. Plymouth native Amber Keddy, 27, was hired about a month ago. Having undergone five weeks of in-house training, she spent her first day on the job last Thursday. "It's absolutely an honor," Keddy said. "Everyone has been helpful. They trained us well, and it's been nothing but a positive experience so far." Keddy was a combat engineer in the Marine Corps and spent six months in Iraq. Serving in the military was part of her strategy for becoming a firefighter. It began when a friend from high school -- also a military veteran and a Plymouth firefighter -- visited her one day. He showed off his firefighting gear and told her about his new job. "It was like a revelation or something," Keddy said. "It just hit me. I knew at that point that I wanted to be a firefighter. It was as if I never wanted to do anything else." So Keddy followed in her friendâ??s footsteps and joined the Marines, aiming for the larger goal of becoming a firefighter. Veterans get preferential treatment in Plymouth and other towns that hire from Civil Service lists. In addition, Plymouth firefighters must live in town. Keddy took the firefighter test, scored well, passed the physical abilities test, interviewed well and got the job, Fire Chief James Pierson said. "Even without the veteran advantage, Amber was a good candidate," Pierson said. In the past few years, only two women have scored high enough on the Civil Service test to warrant interviews, Pierson said. He said one was offered a job but declined, choosing to stay in her supervisory job at an ambulance service; the other was interviewed but not offered a position. Plymouth's having its first female firefighter is being taken in stride by the rest of the 100-member fire department, Pierson said. "She was one of five firefighters we hired,â? the chief said. "It's significant, but we're not making a big deal of it." For Keddy, it is a big deal â?? the job, not the matter of gender. "It's a real-life, action-packed career," she said. "Not too white-collar. I didn't want to be behind a desk. It's a useful profession ... and I get to serve my hometown." The other new additions to the fire department are Stephen Murphy, Derek Hoagland, Sean McNeill and Shawn Bell. Keddy and her four colleagues were sworn in by Town Clerk Laurence Pizer at last night's selectmen's meeting. Friends and family members pinned badges on the new firefighters, all of whom have already begun work. Tamara Race may be reached at trace@ ledger.com.