ROGERS (KFSM) -- A bit of history was made at the Rogers Fire Department over the weekend.
For the first time there was an all-woman crew running the station's downtown ambulance.
Lacie Hewlett and Kari Crump are the only women firefighters at the Rogers Fire Department and on Saturday (Oct. 8) not only were they working the same shift, they were also taking calls in the same ambulance.
“You get treated a little differently i think with two girls. Guys are a little nicer to us. It was a fun day and i look forward to doing it again,” Hewlett said.
Crump said they do the same job as the men they work with, so it was great to get to show people that.
“When we ride out and it`s me and all the guys they`ll be like normally it`s just guys and then say oh and make a comment about a girl because they`re just surprised normally and then when we showed up with two girls they are super surprised,” Crump said.
Hewlett said working in profession dominated by men was intimidating when she started more than ten years ago.
“I was kind of nervous I wasn`t going to be able to handle it and then after just years of doing it, I knew I could do it. And getting the confidence and the support from my brothers was helpful,” Hewlett said.
They both hope more women will enter the firefighting field because it is a rewarding career.
“I think you do have more eyes on you, you obviously stand out a little bit more but it`s awesome. The guys in my normal crew and everybody on my shift and the whole department has been really great,” Crump said.
The Rogers Fire Department encourages young women who are looking for a career path to consider firefighting. They said if you are interested and see what the job entails to call the station to go on a ride along.