A chance for women across Windsor-Essex to learn more about the demands and opportunities available in the emergency services and emergency response sector. The sixth annual WomenOnFire event is this Saturday, September 26, at the Department of National Defence training facility at 4007 Sandwich Street in Windsor. It provides women a chance to explore recruitment pathways, connect with industry professionals, and take part in hands-on physical testing activities to build knowledge, confidence, and physical readiness to pursue careers in emergency services. Co-organizer Donna Desantis says each agency has a unique physical testing component as part of their recruitment process. “The goal of our event is to take the mystery out of what to expect at this stage of the recruitment for women that are attempting to apply for some of these positions,” she says. Organizations that will be taking part include all local fire departments, the Ontario Provincial Police, Correctional Services, the Canadian Armed Forces, the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA), Essex-Windsor Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Medic Strong, and the Parks Canada Fire Management Team. The event is hosted by WomenOnFire, a group of local women with careers in emergency services who collaborate with regional partners to encourage more women to pursue emergency response careers and help improve workforce representation across the sector. Desantis says the event is set up to be an opportunity to come practice all of the physical testing stations for each agency. “You can choose to just do fire, or you can choose to just do the armed forces. You can pick which agency you are most interested in, and we’ll set up physical testing for each agency, and you have two hours to run through all of the training, ask questions, and try things out,” she says. “You can try things out multiple times. It’s a great opportunity to get comfortable with the physical testing.” Desantis says they usually see around 100 women take part in the event, and a lot of them come out because they have questions about the physical testing. “We like to be able to set this up so people can practice it and get comfortable with each station. If there’s something they need to practice or gain confidence, they can work on that over the next few months until they’re ready for the recruitment,” she says. Information sessions and opportunities to network with those in the industry will be available to all attendees. Those registering for physical testing sessions in the morning must be aged 18 and over to participate and are encouraged to dress for physical activity, including wearing running shoes. Event attendees must register prior to the event. Click here to find more information on registration.
