VIDEO: Firefighting is both a physically and mentally demanding profession, and while Wisconsin women have been blazing the trail for others in the industry, some said there is still work to be done. In 2020, women accounted for less than 5% of career firefighters nationwide, according to the latest estimated numbers by the National Fire Protection Association.
For some Wisconsin departments, that percentage is higher, but women are still underrepresented in the field.
In the state’s biggest department — the Milwaukee Fire Department (MFD) — a little more than 7% of sworn Milwaukee firefighters are women.
In Madison, women make up around 11% of all commissioned firefighters.
That number is lower in La Crosse, at a little more than 4% and women with the Green Bay Metro Fire Department make up close to 3% of all sworn firefighters.