Saskatoon police, fire department inspire women to join emergency services

For women working in emergency services, seeing someone on the police force or in the fire department breaking down barriers can be a big boost of confidence.

“All of us who are here today wouldn’t be here if we weren’t wildly passionate about what we do,” Saskatoon Police alternative response officer Hailey Erickson said.

On Saturday, women looking to get into the industry had a chance to meet those on the front lines as part of the Explore Emergency Services event.

“They get to go through a day of fun of interacting with responders and interacting with the tools and the equipment that we get to use and seeing what our careers are all about,” Brooklyn Maxwell, a Saskatoon firefighter and paramedic said.

Maxwell got her start in the industry as a participant in the same event back in 2019. Now, she is eager to share her experiences with the next group of future women in emergency services.

“Seeing them accomplish different tasks that they never thought that they would be able to do is really, really cool,” Maxwell said.

According to police, only 25 per cent of membership are female. Erickson said the service is always on the lookout for eager recruits, and an event like this one can help build up passion about one day being able to help serve the community.

“It just gives women an opportunity to see somebody who they can look up to and maybe see themselves in,” she said.

“Masculinity and femininity both have a really important role to play around here, so we’re really proud to represent that and just highlight the importance of both.”

For those who may think this is the right fit for them, both police and fire say the best way to know is to jump in, try it, and to stay curious.

“Ask all the questions because you never know what might spark your interest or what direction you might want to go,” Maxwell said.

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