Brockton’s all-women firefighting crew making history while saving lives

BROCKTON, Mass. — For the first time in history, an all-female crew of firefighters responded to a call in Brockton.

Inside the Brockton Fire Department, the tough as nails women who work in a male-dominated field show they’re anything but the weaker sex.

“I remember we got our first call and I was like, ‘Ok, let’s go,’" said Brockton Firefighter Carol Dawkins.

Last Friday night, a call came in for a man who fell in his home and couldn’t get up, the same night where the fire station was being manned by all women.

“Of course he looks at us like he said, “Oh you’re the EMTs,'” said Brockton Fire Lieutenant Heather Angelo. "'No, we’re not, we’re the firefighters.'”

The only three female firefighters in the 180-member Brockton Fire Department, Katie Dubeua, Carol Dawkins and Lt. Heather Angelo, show they’re willing to come in and do the same job as the men, without any special treatment.

A photo taken after the historic call shows the three firefighters standing in front of the department’s Ladder 2.

“Just one of those hit or miss situations you never know when all three of us are going to be together and when we were finally together it was perfect," said Dawkins.

Dubeua joined the department two years ago while Lt. Angelo has been a Brockton firefighter fro 19 years and Dawkins was the first woman to join the department in 1999. Lt. Angelo calls the department her family and says they’re just like one of the guys.

“We had to come in and show them that we were here willing to do the same job as them we didn’t expect any special treatment," said Lt. Angelo.

At the age of 64, Dawkins if Brockton’s oldest firefighter and does everything the men do, except with fancy nails underneath her fire gloves.

“We wear medical gloves, we wear fire gloves [I] never see my hands and my nails never get in the way," said Dawkins.

These female firefighters say they embrace their influence as role models to all girls and acknowledge the power of representation.

“I hope they look at us and say, ‘If I want to accomplish something I can do it, there’s no boundaries it’s all what you put your mind to,’" said Lt. Angelo.

All three firefighters are also veterans who have served our country in the Army and the Navy.

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