Sarah tells us about her journey

Firefighter, policewoman, archaeologist or even a works supervisor, are professions that are too rarely heard in women. Fun fact: women also do this type of job and they do it brilliantly!
Because nothing should prevent a child from dreaming and doing everything to exercise the profession of his dreams, we have collected inspiring, exciting and edifying testimonials. Proof that: yes, whether you are a girl or a boy, you can become whatever you want!

Sarah C. is one of those women who work in a so-called men’s profession. Because among firefighters, it is often the men that we see but rarely the women. However, these everyday heroes exist and their daily lives deserve to be highlighted. Sarah C. is one of them.

While she wanted to become a surgeon from a very young age, she turned to a fire station for her observation internship in 3rd, in college. “I looked for an internship in a hospital but they did not accept me because of my age ”, confides the young woman. “I wanted my internship to be consistent with my future job, so I did this internship during which the firefighters told me about the heart of the job: the interventions. They told me that they could go into intervention for a malaise which could ultimately end in cardiac arrest ”. More than anything, human contact and adrenaline pushed him to do this wonderful job.

“Just because you’re the only girl doesn’t mean you’re no better than the rest”

A year after this first contact, Sarah is sure of herself, she wants to be a firefighter. A news that was not easy accepted for her mother, especially because of the risk incurred by her daughter. While his father immediately felt pride.

In 2015, she began her training as a young firefighter in a Parisian barracks, at the same time, she was educated in a high school in Montreuil, in Île-de-France. Double pressure for the 16-year-old girl, she is preparing to validate two diplomas: her literary baccalaureate and her diploma of brigade de sapeurs-firefighters of Paris (BSPP). During this intensive training, the young woman will learn the first aid actions and fire maneuvers. She will be the young woman among 10 men. “At the start, we were two girls and ten men but the other quickly left because she was injured”, she says. However, Sarah is not discouraged, she is even encouraged and supported by her colleagues. “One of my instructors even took me aside at the office and told me: ‘just because you’re the only girl doesn’t mean you’re no better than the others”, remembers the young woman.

Successful bet ! Sarah obtains her bachelor’s degree and her diploma from BSPP after three years of training. Then she had the choice between going to the brigade or turning to another alternative: “Like becoming a reservist in an operational reserve, which I am currently doing”.

“I didn’t believe it but I still gave myself the means to get there”

Today, the young 23-year-old woman juggles her private life and her days on call, which can sometimes last 48 hours. During these intense days, Sarah gets up at dawn to follow her program:

• 7:45 am: the gathering followed by a check of the equipment in the fire truck
• 8:30 am: “To your ranks”, we must take stock of what is missing
• Between 9 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.: the firefighters carry out first aid maneuvers and thematic maneuvers: immobilizations, cardiac arrests, etc.
• 10:30 am: the firefighters get dressed for training followed by the lunch break at noon.
• 2 p.m .: second gathering
• All afternoon: firefighters work in different departments: barracks, planning, sports office, clothing department, kitchen
• 5 p.m .: sports session followed by a shower

Then the firefighters are free but not completely. “You stay within the walls but you no longer have any obligations and you leave as soon as there is an intervention”, Sarah confides.

The next day at 7 am, the firefighters have community service (TIG) to do in the barracks. “Thirty minutes later, the head of the guard comes to check if you have done your TIG, then he goes through the rooms and finally, either it’s rebelotte, you start again the same day, or you take another guard”, she confides.

Sarah’s days are unpredictable and sometimes dangerous. “That’s the problem with the job, we go to people but we never know what awaits us. You can run into calm people as well as aggressive people ”, she confides. But if it had to be done again, she would do it “1000%”.

However, the young woman cannot imagine doing this job all her life. “Right now I’m fine like that, I like it, but I’ve always said that when I have children, I couldn’t go without seeing them for a whole day”, she confides. But she doesn’t make her case a generality, “I know lots of women who are mothers and firefighters and things are going well, they manage well, I even know one who has just given birth”, says the firefighter.

Sarah also wanted to send a message to all those who want to do her job. “In life, you can do what you want, you just have to give yourself the means and really want to. I managed to be BGSSPP, I did not believe it but I still gave myself the means to get there. Finally, I managed to integrate the training and finish it ”, she concludes.

Thanks to Sarah C. for this inspiring testimony.

Suruthi SRIKUMAR

Suruthi is a writer for the Aufeminin, Parole de Mamans and Avis de Mamans websites. She is also Community Manager for Aufeminin Maman’s Facebook and Instagram social networks. She is also …