Women have a long history as firefighters, yet only recently have significant numbers of women begun to choose the fire service as a career. While some volunteer fire departments have included women for years, many others are beginning to do so only now. A woman considering volunteer service or a career as a firefighter often has many questions. What does the work involve? How can I best prepare myself for it? What are the challenges and rewards of firefighting? How will the fire department and the other firefighters accept me? This handbook was created to help women who would like to become career, volunteer, or seasonal firefighters, as well as those who have just started on the job and are seeking guidance. It offers insights and suggestions from women who have been there: female firefighters, officers, and chiefs from all across the country. It attempts to present firefighting as it really is--neither glamorized nor trivialized--and to share answers to questions women commonly have...