Women have been among the ranks of firefighters since the late 1800s, but now, over 130 years later, they still make up a tiny minority of the fire service, with just three in the Quad Cities. The first woman to work as a paid firefighter – not including wildland crews – was Judith Livers, who was hired by the Arlington County, Virginia, fire department in 1974. With both the Phoenix and Mesa fire departments headed up by female chiefs, it might seem that women have made significant inroads in the firefighting business – and they have, as far as treatment by their colleagues is concerned.