It’s a warm afternoon in late May. The skies are partly cloudy over Portland Fire & Rescue’s Northeast Portland training center, but closer to the ground new recruits are feeling 100 percent humidity.
“Grab hold of it!” Yells one firefighter-in-training as he pounces atop a flailing fire hose. Water gushes into his face as the pressure proves too much. The hose flips him onto his back as he laughs. It’s just a drill.
The recruits know if they make it through probation, they’ll need to perform under pressure, every day.
Among them are two women: Kaylee Kolin, 22, and Chelsea Bierman, 28.
“You can do anything you set your mind to,” said Bierman. “People like me and Kaylee are proving that every day we come out.”
“We serve the community,” added Kolin. “That's the reason every single one of us are here.”