CHESTER, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) More than 100 years after its founding, in 1890, Chester’s Fire Department has hired its first female firefighter. The department’s newest member came through the Chester County Career and Technology center which she says prepared her for the job.
Ka’Nya Givens is a 2020 Chester High School graduate who says her new job as a firefighter came with more than a few unexpected surprises.
“Oh I go on calls every day, just not fire calls. They don’t tell you that when you signed the paper that it’s not a fire every day,” says Givens.
Not to mentions she’s Chester Fire Department’s first ever female firefighter. Chester’s Fire Chief James Jackson — who broke his own barriers as the department’s first black fire chief — says, this kind of diversity is important in the department and in the community.
“You have to have females in the department so that the community can see that and other females can say, ‘hey I can do the same thing,’ it’s not just a man,” says chief Jackson. “Because if you look at the fire service it is a more male job but now you can start seeing… Here in Chester fire Department we’re changing the attitude right now.”
Givens completed an eight week training course in Columbia for her new role where she said she was only one of two females to finish the course. She said she never expected to be a first in her lifetime but here in Chester County she won’t be the last.
“It’s not another female working here so it gives the little girls some thing to look up to,” says Givens.
Givens says Chester’s career program prepared her for this role. Chester’s Career center instructors believe the fire program is an investment in the community also saying more young people are needed.
Chester’s Career and Technology Instructor, Micheal Waits, says, “To me she was an inspiration for other females. So, that has peaked interest in our community with people seeing her on the fire truck now and some of the publicity she’s gotten, which is great for the school, it’s great for the community and it’s also great for the females.”
Another career center instructor, Lawrence Naniot, says, “We’re trying our best to gain the attention of these young adults and have them be certified and be able to come out and like I said a college is not for everybody, and this course here offers them many many certifications.”
Givens says she knows her career of firsts won’t stop here.
“I want to retire, go higher than where I came in maybe be a captain or a chief and I want to hire a whole bunch of new girls and the little girls and any kind of girls and one day have my own all girl fire station,” says Givens.
In the video above, CN2’s Rachel Richardson is speaking with the firefighter about the significance of her new role.
