VIDEO: The Wichita Fire Department hosted a special surprise presentation on Wednesday for a former Wichita firefighter.
Rebecca (Downum) Chandler became Wichita’s first female firefighter in 1983.
“It was a wonderful time. I didn’t really know how long I could do it, but I did it as long as I could,” she said, “I enjoyed doing it. I felt like, a woman had to jump in and be the first.”
Chandler said she was working part-time with EMS when she made the transition to a full-time firefighter.
She said she has fond memories of being a firefighter, but there was a lot of tension when she joined the department.
“They were caught off guard, they had no idea they didn’t know really that I would be,” she said, “let alone pass the agility to go into training.”
Wichita Fire Chief Tammy Snow joined the department five years later. She said she still appreciates that Chandler paved the way.