FORT MYERS, FLA. — The Fort Myers Fire Department has 13 female firefighters.
This women's history month, Fox 4 Community Correspondent Miyoshi Price went to the fire station to talk with two female firefighters about their experience trailblazing in a male-dominated field.
Watch Fort Myers Community Correspondent Miyoshi Price's report below:
Bella Pizzani is in her first year of fire fighting in Fort Myers --- she says she knows her male colleagues are sometimes stronger than her but every time she wakes up, she gets her gear and is ready for the challenge.
"I've had to put in extra work, and things that might have come easier to some other people don't come as easy to me," says Pizzani.
She says no matter how hard it is to carry the ladder in training, Pizanni says she gets the job done.
She grew up in Fort Myers and spent time at fire stations.
She started her journey a couple of years ago at EMT school.
"We learned about, you know, some cardiac stuff, some trauma, some strokes, seizures, stroke," says Pizzani.
She passed her physical ability test last January, wrapped up fire school in the fall, and was ready to work for the department.
Pizzani says her parents weren't happy about the career choice at first.
"They think it's a dangerous job," says Pizzani. "They don't want to see me, you know, going to burning buildings."
But now that she's doing the work, she says they couldn't be prouder.
She even read to children at a school where her mother works.
"They're like, oh my gosh, you're a female firefighter," says Pizzani as she describes reading to a class. "Like, yes, girl. Like, do you think you can do it too? "
Mariah Marrero has always wanted to be a firefighter, too.
It's what her dad did.
"My father never pushed me to do it, but I think, you know, he was excited that I chose to do that," says Marrero.
When she started in 2021, she says only three women were in the department.
"I think with having more female firefighters, it's almost like it's a new wave of female firefighters in this industry and supporting each other and kind of just encouraging one another," says Marrero.
Now, there are 13 female fighters in Fort Myers.
Marrero says she can do the same thing the men do.
"Don't stop yourself from chasing a dream or pursuing a career that is male-dominated and thinks you can't do it because you can," says Marrero. "We have plenty of girls here to prove that."
The Fort Myers Fire Department leads the Cape Coral Fire Department with one certified female Firefighter. Both women say they are happy to see women enter the industry.
