Women who have wondered what it takes to be a firefighter will have a hands-on opportunity this weekend.
The Women’s Fire Service Expo will be held in Elk River Saturday, June 23. Participants will suit up, try out equipment and even put out a fire.
In roughly a minute, firefighter Kim Cox gets geared up from head to toe. She is one of 12 women who serve the Eden Prairie Fire Department, but that number is just 10 percent of the force.
“Women are 50 percent of the population, so we would like to see more women in the fire service,” said Becki White, Assistant Chief of Training and Prevention for EPFD.
None of the lockers are occupied by women at the Elk River Fire Department, and Acting Chief Aaron Surratt is determined to change that.