The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) have platformed a firefighter-led fitness program in St. Paul, Minnesota, is helping more women prepare for careers in the fire service.
Backed by St. Paul, MN Local 21 and supported through the IAFF’s Fit to Thrive (F2T) program, Twin Cities Female Firefighter Fitness (TCF3) offers hands-on training in a supportive environment to help candidates meet the physical aspects of the job.
Local 21 Firefighter and TCF3 Founder Sarah Reasoner shared: “TCF3 started about a year and a half ago.
“I was helping with the city’s physical entrance test and saw that a number of women needed more time and guidance.”
TCF3 now hosts monthly workouts and a few expos each year. The program helps women prepare for the fire academy, enter the job and build careers in the fire service.
Local 21 member and program Co-Lead Megan Roesler-Turner commented: “One big plus is that we can use our department’s training facility.”
“We run stair climbs in the tower with weight vests, use the Keiser sled, the dummy drags which are all tasks you’ll see on the job.”
Trainers received guidance through F2T. Local 21 member and program Co-Cead Martha Fecht’s added: “They helped us get all our trainers certified.”
F2T is a program that was created to help more firefighters be more active more often and is designed to support the broader Wellness-Fitness Initiative (WFI).
It offers education, training, resources and support for firefighters and fire departments to build, grow and sustain exercise-related initiatives.
Sean DeCrane, Assistant to the General President for Health & Safety shared: “It’s incredibly encouraging to see members reaching out to recruit and, more importantly, prepare the next generation of firefighters to succeed and thrive in our profession.
“The goal of the F2T program is to improve our members’ health and well-being and seeing this program come to life with the success they’ve had is a great example of the spirit behind F2T.”
The firefighters leading TCF3 completed the F2T 101 course and hold the designation of Peer Fitness Trainer (PFT) within the F2T program.
5th District Vice President Mitchell Mahlon said: “TCF3 is a strong example of how locally driven efforts, when supported by union leadership and IAFF programs like Fit to Thrive, can address real needs in the fire service.
“It’s encouraging to see members creating solutions that strengthen recruitment and support candidate success.”
Local 21 President Kyle Thornberg said when TCF3 first proposed their idea , it was a “no-brainer” for the Local to support it.
Thornberg explained: “Our immediate response was: How can we help? Supporting an initiative created by our own members, in St. Paul, to train and inspire women to become firefighters feels like an investment in their union coming full circle.”
Women currently make up just 9% of firefighters nationwide. Thornberg credits TCF3 for actively working to increase that number.
Thornberg continued: “All the credit goes to these ladies for creating and advancing a thoughtful, mission-driven program that filled a gap we’ve known was there but lacked a clear framework on how to address it.
“TCF3 has grown into a grassroots pipeline for mentorship, readiness and representation in a profession that truly needs all three and I’m proud that it’s built off the IAFF’s Fit to Thrive programming.”
Reasoner shared: “Some women come once or twice and realize it’s not for them and that’s totally fine. But some have gone on to join St. Paul Fire or the EMT program. A few more joined Minneapolis or other departments. Others are still working out with us or in training programs.”
Fecht echoed: “We’ve been asked to expand TCF3 across Minnesota. This all started with Sarah’s idea and Local 21 helped fund the training that made it happen.”
The International Association of Fire Fighters have highlighted the work of a firefighter-led fitness program in St. Paul, Minnesota, is helping more women prepare for careers in the fire service.
