In this episode, we hear from Emily Lo, who is the Batallion Chief at the Davis Fire Department. She has been a firefighter for 32 years, and female Asian-American battalion chief in the City of Davis. She is a member of the Davis Firefighters Union and the Women's Commission Mentoring Program, where she mentors aspiring female firefighters. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about the responsibilities of a firefighter, the ‘four ups’ that she teaches her rookies to live by, and some of the skills necessary to excel as a firefighter. You’ll also hear what a typical week looks like for Miss Lo, different physical training requirements, and why it is so important to have a supportive team in this industry. You’ll also hear all about how she empowers other women in the field through mentorship and recruitment, how requirements differ between departments and areas, and much more! Tune in to hear more of Part 1 of this inspiring conversation today.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Meet Miss Emily Lo, the female Asian-American battalion chief in the City of Davis.
- What the responsibilities of a firefighter are at every level of seniority leading up to Batallion Chief.
- The ‘four ups’ to live by that Miss Lo teaches her rookies.
- Skills and abilities necessary to succeed as a firefighter including navigation, maths, and more.
- The typical hours a week worked by firefighters - 56 to 72 hours per week.
- Miss Lo’s journey to becoming a firefighter and her 32-year career in the field.
- Why she sees firefighting as a lifelong calling.
- What firefighting training entails overall.
- Different physical training requirements for different areas.
- What it’s like to be the first Asian American Woman to reach the rank of a Batallion Chief.
- Why it’s so important to have a supportive team.
- Her experience of transitioning from Taiwan to the US and how sports helped her to make friends.
- What makes a good team and how to build trust with your teammates.
- Miss Lo’s experience training other female firefighters.
- How the Women's Commission Mentoring Program was formed and what their recruitment efforts entail.
- Differing requirements at different fire departments.
- Miss Lo’s presentation ‘A Day in the Life of a Firefighter’ at the firefighting job expo.
- Breathing in smoky environments and how it changes with exposure.
- What a typical workday looks like for Miss Lo at the moment.
- What firefighters typically do when they’re not on call.
- The role of area familiarization in firefighting.
