Fire Service Women Ontario return with 10th annual Symposium conference

By OttawaMatters Staff

The Fire Service Women Ontario (FSWO) is holding its 10th annual Symposium conference. The event brings together women and men in the fire service industry, to discuss gender bias, racism, sexism, workplace diversity and the need for gender balance in the fire hall. 

The event will take place at la Cité collegiale, all day on Saturday and Sunday. Much of the hands-on training for the event will take place at the college’s outdoor training structure and tower, which is used by students of the Fire Service program.

According to Louse Hine-Schmidt, the president of FSWO, the conference first came about in 2007 after a female firefighter attended a women’s training weekend.

“She trained with several other women firefighters and experienced the unique benefit of women learning from each other, especially given the isolation that can exist in a profession largely staffed by men,” says Hine-Schmidt, the president of FSWO, adding, “Her story is one of the many inspirations that shaped, and will be acknowledged, at the Fire Service Women Ontario conference on this 10th anniversary.”

The conference features workshops that provide expert advice and open discussion on how women can integrate more seamlessly in the fire service, which currently counts women as making up less than five percent of its workforce.

“Helping women firefighters socialize within a predominantly male team, in a healthy way for the entire squad, and encouraging the value of teamwork and communication are key success factors,” says Hine-Schmidt.

This year’s keynote speaker is London Fire Brigade Commissioner, Dany Cotton. As a female firefighter, Dany attended several high-profile incidents including the Clapham train crash just a few months after leaving training school. Since becoming Commissioner of the London Fire Brigade, she has led the Brigade during the terrorist attacks at London Bridge and Finsbury Park, and the fire at Grenfell Tower.

Other speakers include Ali Rothrock, who will also share her story of trauma and the factors that lead to a PTSD diagnosis. She will also discuss the cultural similarities that exist in all firehouses and the challenges that women face in the industry. 9/11 firefighter and now Captain Michele Fitzsimmons of the Fire Department of New York and Fire Chief Jona Olsson who will serve as a subject expert on the improved function of emergency responders when gender representation is respected and balanced.

For more information on this event, visit www.fswo.ca

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