So, she wants to be a Firefighter? 

It’s much less common to see girls, especially young girls interested in firefighting as a career path. However, if she’s anything like Estella Coffee, a wildland firefighter from Oklahoma, her interest may be in the navy or military first, before finding the joy in joining a squad or hotshot crew like Estella did.

After talking with Estella in her interview with Nongirly, we learned just how fast paced, intense, and exhilarating it can be to have a career as a wildland firefighter; especially when you’re one of the few who land a unique position as a hot shot – the elite “special forces” of the firefighting community. Moreover, these types of firefighters take on the largest, most difficult fires – the ones that can wipe out entire forests and span for miles before being snuffed out.

From what has been displayed online, in movies, and on tv, firefighting can seem like a scary occupation – one that’s dangerous, physically challenging, and emotionally draining. And while firefighting can be all of these things, it’s also exciting, dependent on building good relationships with crewmates, and extremely rewarding, especially to those who move up in rank to become officers, team leaders, and captains. Also, it requires strength of character and strong intuition as well as the ability to listen, learn, and work well with others. Don’t underestimate women in fire, they’re just as strong as the boys.

It’s also important to acknowledge that there are many different types of firefighters that someone can be! For example, aside from traditional firefighting, there are also opportunities for her to become a wildland firefighter, a firefighting engineer, an EMT, a fire investigator, or even a fire marshal.

Fostering her curiosity and passion

Before zeroing in on her preferred career path, there are lots of fun ways to get her excited about firefighting now while she’s still young and curious! For example, you can foster her curiosity with thoughtful firefighter-themed gifts. Therefore, we’ve compiled a list of fantastic firefighter-themed gifts we think she’ll love! If you like these firefighter-themed gifts and would like more recommendations, be sure to check out our full catalog linked here.