Nancy Innes, 53, is looking back on a great idea.
Twenty-seven years ago, when she was studying chemistry and biochemistry at Simon Fraser University, she spotted a poster at the university about the Surrey Fire Service hiring firefighters.
91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 the first time I ever thought about it, and I just thought it would be a really great job,91裸聊视频� she said in an interview with Black Press Media.
91裸聊视频淚 just thought, I91裸聊视频檓 going to go for it.91裸聊视频�
She was hired on Sept. 14, 1992, along with Isabel Ruediger, to become Surrey91裸聊视频檚 first professional female firefighters. Ruediger is currently captain at Hall 4 in Guildford and Innes is retiring as captain of Hall 8 in Cloverdale 91裸聊视频� where she leads a crew of 16 firefighters over four shifts 91裸聊视频� at 8 a.m. Thursday, after her last shift.
91裸聊视频淗opefully it91裸聊视频檚 not too crazy of a night shift,91裸聊视频� she chuckled.
Virginia MacDonald was the first woman hired to the department, as a secretary. Jean Turley and Heather Beaton were the first volunteer firefighters in Surrey, signing on in 1960.
But Innes and Ruediger are the first professionals, working full time.
91裸聊视频淭here was no women in the Lower Mainland at that time, if my memory serves right,91裸聊视频� Innes told the Now-Leader. 91裸聊视频淭here were volunteer firefighters around, but no professionals. We were in the same group 91裸聊视频� we were in a group of 16.
91裸聊视频淚 didn91裸聊视频檛 know, when I applied, that there was no women, until I started doing more research,91裸聊视频� she recalled.
Today Surrey has 14 female firefighters out in the field, fighting fires, of about 360 firefighters all told. But counting dispatchers, Surrey Fire Service currently has 40 women in uniform.
Last call? The alarm rings at Hall 8, and Nancy Innes and her crew are on the road to help someone. (Photo: Tom Zytaruk)
Innes wants women to know that firefighting is a good career option for them.
91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檚 still not a lot of women that apply to be firefighters. I think it91裸聊视频檚 important that they know it is a viable career for women. Hopefully they91裸聊视频檒l see more women on the trucks and that sort of thing. If you grow up only seeing men on fire trucks everywhere you look, you probably don91裸聊视频檛 think of it as a women91裸聊视频檚 career, but it really is. It91裸聊视频檚 been a really good career.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 really hard physical work, and it91裸聊视频檚 exciting,91裸聊视频� she noted. 91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檝e had people come up to me 91裸聊视频� like at Guildford mall one day I was going through with a fire crew and this young bride came up and said, 91裸聊视频楾hanks for saving my dad91裸聊视频檚 life.91裸聊视频� We had done CPR on him a month before, and he had survived. We never know, because they go away in the ambulance and we don91裸聊视频檛 ever see them again.
91裸聊视频淎nother month later the dad came by, and said thank you. So that was pretty cool.91裸聊视频�
Besides Cloverdale, Innes has also worked in Guildford, Newton, Whalley and South Surrey.
When she became a professional firefighter, at age 26, she said, she didn91裸聊视频檛 encounter much resistance from her male colleagues.
91裸聊视频淭here were certain firefighters that weren91裸聊视频檛 as happy about it, but mainly not, because Surrey was growing so fast I think it helped, like there was lots of new firefighters coming in, it was quite progressive.91裸聊视频�
Innes lives in Surrey. Her husband and fellow firefighter Dave Baird, who is captain at Hall 13, expects to retire next year. They have three sons, and Innes looks forward to traveling 91裸聊视频� first stop, Portugal.
What will Innes miss most about her job?
91裸聊视频淒efinitely the people I work with, I91裸聊视频檒l miss91裸聊视频he camaraderie,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淚 like going to calls that you have to figure things out at, there91裸聊视频檚 lots going on and you have to figure out what your plan is. I won91裸聊视频檛 miss the tragedy side of things. Like death, and people in pain, you know, you don91裸聊视频檛 like seeing that.91裸聊视频�
What has she seen change, from a female firefighter91裸聊视频檚 perspective, over the course of her lengthy career in Surrey?
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 changed technology wise, even the trucks and that sort of thing, but as far as being women? There91裸聊视频檚 more women91裸聊视频檚 bathrooms. Like the newer halls are more accommodating so we have women91裸聊视频檚 locker rooms and stuff in the newer halls,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淭he older halls, they still might have only one room with a shower or whatever, but you just lock the door, same as in a house. They are trying to get more women91裸聊视频檚 clothing, and that sort of thing, which is nice. Our turnout gear is all custom, so it fits you perfectly, so it doesn91裸聊视频檛 matter if you91裸聊视频檙e a man or a woman. The testing is similar 91裸聊视频� it91裸聊视频檚 the same for everyone, for whoever applies. Same standard for everyone.91裸聊视频�
Surrey Fire Chief Larry Thomas says Innes 91裸聊视频渋s proof that women can have long and fulfilling careers as firefighters. As Nancy moves into a well-earned retirement, I know her pioneering work will inspire other women to fill her place within the ranks of the Surrey Fire Service.91裸聊视频�
Mayor Doug McCallum described her as 91裸聊视频渢ruly a trail blazer and inspiration for women who want to make a career out of firefighting.91裸聊视频�
Incidentally, our interview at Hall 8 was abruptly ended by an alarm concerning a medical call and Innes and her crew were swiftly out the door.
A busy Surrey firefighter, to the last.
tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
Like us on Follow us on and follow Tom on
