Join Us for "In Her Boots" Documentary to See the Story of 40+ Years of Women in the Madison Fire Department

posted March 7, 2023

In Her Boots documentary title

Everyone is invited to join the International Women’s Day celebration at Madison College on March 8th for the screening of the Madison Fire Department documentary In Her Boots at Mitby Theater. This documentary showcases first-hand experiences of women in the Madison Fire Department over four decades, including the first women to become firefighters in the City of Madison in 1978 and 1980.

I want to thank all of the women who opened the firehouse doors for future generations, as firefighters/EMTs, firefighter/paramedics, code enforcement officers, administrative clerks, community paramedics, community education officers and more. This Women’s History Month is a great opportunity to celebrate the women who serve our City every day.

Image from In Her Boots The MFD has a proud history of actively working to establish, support and embolden gender equity within the fire service. Through the documentary you’ll see examples of how Madison has been the headquarters for a national movement to recruit more women into the fire service and a leader in appointing women to higher ranks in the department. The stories in this film will undoubtedly evoke many different reactions and emotions on a personal level for all who see it, acknowledging all there is to be proud of, and how much work is yet to be done. There is no better means of effecting progress than by accurately reflecting on our past successes and failures, while recognizing the path that has been forged by MFD.

The story of women in the Madison Fire Department is still being written. Today, the Madison Fire Department employs 56 women (42 commissioned, 14 non-commissioned), comprising 13% of its workforce. While that is higher than the national average, women continue to be an under-represented group in fire and EMS locally. I commend Madison Fire for their focus on hiring, promotion and culture to make gender equity a reality. International Women's Day event invitation Please join us for a screening of In Her Boots: