Women have been on the front lines of fire departments for decades.
Volunteer fire brigades in the 1800s included women. The first female career fire fighter was hired in Arlington County, Virginia, in 1974.
The International Association of Women in Fire and Emergency Services reports that today, 11,000 women in the U.S. work as career firefighters and officers. Another 49,000 more are in the volunteer, paid on-call, part-time and seasonal sectors.
Yet, even with those numbers, a firefighter in Fort Worth is still breaking barriers and in the process, revealing the Different Shades of Texas.
"I am the first Hispanic female firefighter in Fort Worth," said Elisa Rios.
She doesn't brag about it. She doesn't toot her own horn. Yet, it is a fact. Never before has the city had a Latina firefighter.
The Fort Worth Fire Department has 18 women on the team, but Rios is a first. She realizes she is paving the way for others, but more than anything, she just wants to do right by her family in the fire house and at her family at home.
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"I'm very humbled; very honored. I'm very honored," Rios told NBC DFW. "I come from a family that is very much a part of the community, and to be part of that and have my family, you know make them proud."
Rios realized she wanted to be a firefighter after a ride along with a cousin who works for the fire department. It combined her love of physical fitness and her desire to serve her hometown.
“I've never been around anything like this before," said Rios. "All my jobs have been more customer service. Well, this one's customer service also, but I’ve never been around working with trucks or working with tools; definitely a different atmosphere,” she said.
Rios credits CrossFit for getting her ready for the physical and mental challenges of the job. She started the fitness program five years ago when she trying to lose a little more weight.
“Since I started, I lost about 40 pounds from CrossFitting,” she said. “It changed my life. It’s incredible. It’s very empowering. You kind of break down barriers of who you think you are.”
She broke a barrier when she graduated from the academy back in June.
“I’m a rookie,” she told us. “I just wanna be here and learn and work with my brothers and have my career."
Veteran firefighters like public information officer Kyle Clay says Rios proved she could do the job.
“It’s a matter of working hard and being determined, and she's shown that,” said Kyle Clay, a public information officer for the department. “She beat a lot of the guys when she was going through the physical agility test.”
“Ultimately, I think guys on the engine want to know I can do the job and they can trust me to do my job. And, I have to trust them also,” Rios said.
Her first fire proved again, she made the right choice.
“It’s pretty awesome," said Rios. "It’s pretty incredible. Once the adrenalin wears off, and you get to realize this is your job. I feel lucky.”
"After realizing it's what I wanted, I've never wanted to do anything else."
