VIDEO: When it comes to civil service, it’s been a male-dominated field. And when it comes to positions with rank, the numbers are slim, specifically for female fire officers.
“I come from a multi-generational civil service family,” said Tressa LaBella, a fire lieutenant at Utica Fire Department. “My grandfather was a police officer, my father was a police officer, my uncle and my godfather were firefighters. So I remember going to the firehouse when I was younger and putting on the helmet, so it’s always kind of been in the back of my mind.”
LaBella was recently promoted. She is the first female to make lieutenant at the Utica Fire Department.
“Younger generations don’t see as many females in that position. So, for me, it’s about visibility and showing them that if they believe in themselves and it’s something that they want to do, that they can achieve it,” said LaBella.
Being in a male-dominated field, LaBella says she doesn’t see it as an obstacle, but an opportunity.
“I feel like I bring a different perspective and a different angle on certain situations, on certain calls we go on and I kind of round out the decision-making with any kind of challenge that we’re faced with,” said LaBella.
Across upstate New York, there is a small number of female firefighters and an even smaller number of female officers. In Syracuse, there are three female lieutenants and one captain. In Albany, there are currently no females in a ranked position. In Buffalo, there is one division chief and one battalion chief, one captain and five lieutenants. For LaBella, even though she’s been a firefighter for the last decade, she says this role comes with changes.
“You go from kind of taking orders to being the one that has to give those orders. I like to say that I’m not in charge of them, but I’m responsible for the people in my charge,” said LaBella.
She’s proud of the ladder she’s climbed and hopes to see more women step into the line of fire.
“As long as I excel in my current position, I think it’ll bring new opportunities in the future,” said LaBella.
