EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — To celebrate International Women’s Month, the El Paso Fire Department highlighted the women who work for the department by staffing an all-female shift at one firehouse this weekend.

At Fire Station No. 19, six female firefighters staffed two rigs for a 24-hour shift, said Deputy Chief Frank Reyna Jr.

Women firefighters have different titles, roles and certifications, just like anyone with El Paso Fire, Reyna said.

“They function being out on an ambulance or a firetruck,” he said. “We also have females in our support roles in executive positions throughout the department.”

Reyna said they have 19 women in the department. One is working on finishing up in their current Academy and is slated to graduate in the next three months, he said.

“Being a first responder is hard work,” Reyna said. “These female firefighters have it double hard.

“They come to work, give it their all, go home, back to their roles as mothers, wives, spouses. They face adversity and I have nothing but admiration for them and the roles they pursue on and off duty,” Reyna said.

“They are role models to us all,” he said.

Reyna said they had a pretty active 24-hour shift with multiple medical calls including a couple of motorcycle crashes.

Fire Suppression Technician Sharon McTague has been with the El Paso Fire for 14 years.

She said that having the department create an all-female crew for 24 hours was a great experience.

“It’s been a good experience and it has fun,” McTague said. “It was the first year they staffed a whole station with females in honor of International Women’s Month. We have enough females on the Fire Department to be able to do that, so it is good.”

McTague said they did a 24-hour shift and then will go home to “our real jobs.”

“We are mothers, sisters. A lot of us take care of other family members,” she said.

Reyna said any girls or women interested in becoming firefighters can learn more about any upcoming Academy at the department’s social media channels. You can also click here to go to the El Paso Fire Department’s website.

“These are excellent role models and I am proud to have them under my command and my shift,” Reyna said.

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