'Always been for the girls': Sask. firefighter becomes 1st female president of national organization

Sask. women in firefighting WATCH: CTV’s Jayda Taylor speaks to the first female president in a national firefighting organization.

PRINCE ALBERT — A Muskoday First Nation woman has been elected the first female president of the Aboriginal Firefighters Association of Canada (AFAC).

Michelle Vandevord has been working at the Muskoday fire department for over 20 years. Whether she’s caring for patients or speaking at the community school, she said it’s important for women and girls to see females as firefighters.

“It’s not just a boy’s game,” she said.

When she was named AFAC’s president this past summer, she thought about her three daughters.

“They’ve been watching mom run out that door, always having to leave my own family home alone while I’m out on those calls. It’s always been for the girls.”

In her new role, she hopes to inspire more women to take a job in firefighting, especially on-reserve and volunteer opportunities.

AFAC coordinates emergency services for Indigenous communities and raises awareness for the challenges rural areas face when emergencies occur. Vandevord said it’s important to have a national database to keep track of on-reserve fires and other emergencies.

Before becoming president, Vandevord served as AFAC’s Saskatchewan representative.

Troy Bear, chief of the Muskoday Volunteer Fire Department, said Vandevord is upbeat and optimistic even during stressful calls. Since becoming a firefighter in 1988, Bear said he’s seen more and more women taking on the job.

But still, he said, the industry is male-dominated.

“Having both males and females on the fire department is a huge asset, depending on if we’re treating female victims or kids,” Bear said.

Ivan Bear was the chief of the Muskoday department for 34 years. He helped Vandevord when she first started as a firefighter, and said he’s proud of her accomplishments.

“It’s nice to see a woman, plus a woman from Muskoday, at that level,” he said.

Vandevord said there’s more to being a firefighter than hopping in a truck and hauling around a fire hose. It also involves “comforting victims at a scene or bringing out lunches at those grass fires.”

“I’d just encourage more women to join their volunteer fire department—you’re needed and you’re valued,” she said.

Vandevord moved back to her home community of Muskoday after living in Prince Albert for half of her life. She said Randy Bair, who was a volunteer firefighter at the time and became her mentor, encouraged her to join.

The Muskoday department has a mutual aid agreement with Birch Hills. Vandevord is also the associate director for Saskatchewan First Nations Emergency Management.