VIDEO: Starkville Hires Female Firefighter

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI)- Starkville hires its first female firefighter in more than two decades.

The board of aldermen hired Bethany Allen at their meeting on Tuesday.

Putting on a yellow firefighter’s suit and becoming a firefighter is something Allen has always dreamed.

“There is the adrenaline, and knowing that you are helping somebody, and you are putting somebody before yourself, just doing something important,” said Allen, the newest firefighter with SFD.

Allen knows female firefighters are rare, however, she isn’t letting statistics get in the way of accomplishing her goals.

“Going into a fire it’s not going to matter if you are a male or female, as long as I can do the job then that’s all that matters,” Allen expressed. “These guys are going to train me so that I can do the job. I care that women are coming into the workforce and being equal with men, but at the end of the day it’s about who can do the job the best, and so I want to be able to do the job the best.”

The Brandon native isn’t focusing on the fact that she’s the first female firefighter at this station in 22 years, there’s more to her than just that.

“I’m training, I’m giving it my all,” she said. “I may have to work really really hard to get to where some of these guys are, they’re physically fit, large, I have to work really hard for that, but I’m giving it my all that’s all that they can ask and that’s all they can do.”

Allen is quite determined to make a difference. Between taking college classes and learning a new job, she’s learning the ropes of the fire house. She believes other firemen will she her work ethic and ability to quickly learn new skills.

“They’re just treating me like, not really like a guy, but like I’m one of their co-workers and that’s all I want,” said Allen.

Allen said she has a passion for serving her community, and hopes to inspire other women into the profession.

“Females can do it, we can,” she said. “Whether we have to work harder or not, I don’t know that’s debatable, but all you have to do, you just have to want it, you have to be willing to work for it.”

Allen is also a part time student at Mississippi State.

She’s officially been a member of the fire department for nearly two weeks now.