Firefighter Kelly Mitchell says her job is not just for men

St. Louis native Kelly Mitchell, who moved to Jackson when she was 9, first tried to get on the Cape Girardeau Fire Department when she was 20 years old. It seemed like a career she could be challenged by, Mitchell says, but the physical endurance test to join the crew was very demanding. Mitchell, now 23, turned to her background in athletics to prepare and on her second tryout, made the squad. She's in her second year as a firefighter and EMT now and as a woman who grew up without brothers, is thankful for the support of the mostly male crew and enjoying the feeling of being part of a big family.

Q: When did you desire to become a firefighter?

A: I was actually working at a previous job and on a lunch break I was browsing through the paper. I saw ... they were taking applications for the city of Cape [Girardeau] fire department. I just thought to myself that it sounded like a good time. It sounded like it would be challenging. I actually tried out for three years before getting hired. My goal was just getting past the physical testing portion and I did that my second try around. Then I just wanted to know what kind of schooling and went forward with it.

Q: Tell me about the training. How hard was it?

A: The actual hiring process -- it's quite extensive. It's pretty physically demanding. There's a series of tests that you have to do, like perform different lifting tests. You go through different things to test your agility, your strength and your cardio. There's also a written portion and of course the actual interview. It takes place over several days.

Q: What did you do to prepare for the hiring process?

A: I had been playing tennis in high school since I was freshman, and even before I was involved in all aspects of athletics competitive sports. I was pretty physically fit, I just didn't have the cardio down, so I really spent a lot of time doing that. I ran quite a few miles in preparation for it. It wasn't a big stretch for me, but at the same time you can be in shape, but really have to target your workouts and incorporate them in the different tests that they have here.

Q: What would you say was the most difficult test?

A: I would say probably the interview itself. It was a little intimidating having the chief and several members of the department there staring at you, waiting on your response. The physical portion -- regardless of how much you train for it -- there's just certain things that once you're out of breath and starting to feel weak there's not much you can do. That portion was probably the most challenging.

Q: How long have you officially been a member of the department?

A: I've been here roughly two years. You go through a year initially of probation. Then you have different testing, like basically you have to know every tool on each apparatus at each station. There's a street portion and also we've got books of guidelines and different procedures and so forth. It's a pretty strenuous first year, but as soon as you get that over it's a lot better and it's more hands-on training. Every day I find myself learning something I didn't know before.

Q: What are you enjoying about this new career?

A: I absolutely love the work schedule. We work 24 hour shifts and every other day we have off and then after you rotate and work four full 24-hour shifts you either get four or six days off. Technically, you work more hours than the average 40-hour-per-week person, but it's just kind of all calculated differently. There's a lot of time off and I just purchased a house about a year ago, so I'm working on remodeling that. I also like that every day is different. It's not a routine. There's certain things that we do do every single day, but we can get a call 30 seconds from now and have no idea what's going to happen. No two calls are alike.

Q: Do you remember your first call?

A: I actually don't. I remember for about the first two months every time that I would hear the particular station that I was stationed at -- which was here at 1 -- every single time I'd get called out I was always really excited. I'd rush down to the truck.

Q: Is it ever difficult being a woman in a career most often perceived to be for a man?

A: To be honest, it doesn't really even register. Friends and family will tell people that I work for the fire department; they'll assume I work at the front desk. It's a little aggravating that people are a little more closed-minded when it comes to that and don't realize that women can hold the same jobs that men can in the work force. However, it doesn't really affect me. I just take it with a grain of salt. I fully believe any job that a man can do, a woman can do.

Q: Do you have any career goals for yourself?

A: I just always want to learn more. Like with any job, technology is always changing. There's more out there tomorrow than there was today. You can never know everything, so we do constant training and familiarization with the equipment and with different procedures. That's really beneficial.