The Rochester Fire Department is hosting the second Rochester Fire Department Women’s Expo on May 20, 2023 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Olmsted County Public Safety Training Center (1515 50th St. SE, Rochester, MN 55904). The goal of the free event is to offer girls and women a chance to see firsthand that being a Firefighter is a viable and rewarding career choice.
“We are excited to be offering the second Women’s Fire Expo. Last year we saw a great response to the opportunity and hope to see even more women and girls in attendance this year. This opportunity really provides an opportunity to see that the profession is open to all and it is about working together to serve the community,” Firefighter Mandee Marx. “The Expo is really about breaking the stigma that you have to be a certain size and gender to do this job.”
At the expo, participants will get the chance to experience the following:
- Rappel from a three-story tower
- Climb the 110-foot aerial ladder
- Forcibly open a door
- Advance a hose line filled with water and spray water from the hose
- Search for and rescue a “victim”
- Learn how to extricate a person from a vehicle
Attendees will also get the change to go through the physical agility test Firefighters have to take after they receive a conditional offer of employment.
Women and girls 15 years old and up are invited to attend the expo, including those with previous and/or current Fire experience. Lunch will be provided. All attendees are asked to wear comfortable clothes and tennis shoes.
Registration is free and open through Monday, August 29, 2022. You can register for the expo here. Questions can be directed to Firefighter Mandee Marx at amarx@rochestermn.gov or 507-328-2800.
The Rochester Fire Department, with Riverland Community College, hosts a High School Firefighter Program for local 11th and 12th graders each year. There is no out of pocket cost to students. Students who complete the course earn college credits and state certification is offered at the end of the program. After completing the program, the only other certification students would need to work as a Firefighter with RFD is an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certification. The starting annual wage for a Firefighter is $63,900 annually, increasing to $85,200 after successful completion of four years on the department.
NOTE - The Mayor and City Council have been invited to this event. A quorum of members may be present.
