Meet Firefighter Caroline Clift

Meet Caroline Clift, a 21 years old Boston resident who is in the process of becoming a firefighter. Dreaming of fighting fires since she was little, Caroline is determined to suit up and come to the rescue. Caroline recently took time to tell Girls Can’t WHAT? about her ambitions and the challenges she has faced while chasing her dream.

GCW: What is your main passion and describe when you first became interested in it?

Caroline: Fire and firefighting have interested me all my life, but I never seriously considered becoming a firefighter until this past year. When I was little I had toy fire trucks that I would rush, siren noises and all, to my doll houses to rescue whatever poor stuffed animal was trapped in the burning building. In elementary school I told people that I wanted to be an arsonist when I grew up. When I found out that that was not a career and was, in fact, illegal, I decided to be a pyrotechnician. Finally, this past year, I moved to Boston where I’ve had the opportunity to see firefighters in action. My apartment is right on a busy intersection that has more than its fair share of car accidents. Each time something happened, all I could do was watch the fire department arrive along with police and ambulances. I wanted desperately to be down there helping. I started to seriously consider applying to the fire department after I talked to some recruiters who came to my college campus. I’m only 5’1″ so I thought I was being completely unrealistic, but after the recruiters told me that there were actually firefighters shorter than me, I decided to go for it.

GCW: Have you ever been injured or encountered any setbacks while pursuing your dream?

Caroline: I’ve never been injured other than little things from working out everyday.

GCW: What is your favorite tool, piece of equipment?

Caroline: There are so many fun tools that firefighters get to use and wear, but I’m especially looking forward to using the Jaws of Life.

GCW: Do you have a favorite event or memory?

Caroline: When I took the firefighter written exam, the first step in the application process, I showed up expecting people to look at me like what are you doing here, little girl? However, not only did I meet other women taking the exam, but I was treated with total respect. No one seemed to doubt me and even the manliest men there chatted and asked me how I thought the exam went afterwards. The whole experience gave me a renewed faith in myself and my goal.

GCW: What are some of the highlights of your career?

Caroline: Hopefully I’ll earn some highlights once I actually have a career. =D

GCW: What challenges have you faced as a female in this area and how did you handle them?

Caroline: I used to think I was at a disadvantage because I’m a 5’1″ female. Firefighting is a very physically demanding job which not many girls get into, often because they just aren’t strong enough. The stereotypical firefighter is often the tall, buff guy, not the short, sort of buff girl. I’ve learned that being little can actually be a good thing in some ways though. Firefighters do confined-space rescues, and being smaller than the men means that I can fit into smaller spaces. There are many women in the fire service who do just as good a job as the men, and I’m training hard to be one of them!

GCW: That is so very true. I’m 5’2″ so I can relate. ;) Have you ever been told you “can’t” because you are a girl? What did you do about it?

Caroline: I’m very lucky in that I’ve never been specifically told I can’t be a firefighter because I’m a girl. Most people are very supportive and encouraging. However, almost every male firefighter that I’ve talked to about joining the fire department has made some comment about “planning a family.” They all feel the need to subtly remind me that firefighting isn’t really a job you should do while pregnant and that it is, in fact, dangerous. Thanks for the heads up guys.

GCW: What do you think is your greatest accomplishment?

Caroline: I take pride in the small things. While it may not seem especially note-worthy to other people, I’m extremely happy with how far I’ve come in my workouts. When I first started training, it had been a while since I’d seen a gym. I’ve been able to get back in shape quite quickly though, and now I’m in the best shape of my life. Each day at the gym can be a struggle though. Those days when the last thing I want to do is workout, but I go to the gym anyway and end up having a rough but good workout and I leave feeling strong- that’s what makes me proud.

GCW: How would you encourage other girls who are interested in your field?

Caroline: I saw this great quotation on the back of a t-shirt at the gym actually. It read, “There are two kinds of pain- discipline and regret. You choose.” That’s really been an inspiration to me. When my workouts get hard and I don’t feel like I can keep running or do another set when I’m lifting weights, I think about the future and how every little bit counts. Pushing through the hard parts is what makes you stronger, mentally and physically. I think any girl who is interested in firefighting should just keep pushing through the crap that people might give you about being a girl and go for it. Get rid of all the doubt, whether it comes from yourself or other people, and just work as hard as you can.

Also, call your fire department and ask if you can speak to a recruiter. They can give you information on women who are already in the fire service, and often there are even women recruiters.

GCW: Wow – that is a great quote and one I have never heard before! Great advice as well…what interests do you have outside of firefighting?

Caroline: Traveling and learning languages is a huge passion of mine. I’m a college student majoring in International Relations and minoring in French. Not exactly the type of person you’d expect to become a firefighter, but that’s part of the fun. I’m very interested in sub-Saharan Africa and I had the opportunity to spend time in Mali a couple years ago, which was the most amazing and inspirational time of my life. I’m going to join the Peace Corps eventually, but that will probably come a little later in life.

I’ve also always loved music and dance. I was a dancer for 13 years before I gave it up in my junior year of high school to play sports. It’s still a passion of mine though, and I’m always dancing around my apartment in my socks.

Caroline, thanks for taking the time to share your experiences and advice with Girls Can’t WHAT? Please keep us posted on your training. Girls Can’t WHAT? wishes you all the best!