Shayleen Parris, Maricopa’s only female firefighter

For the past three years Shayleen Parris has called Maricopa Fire Department her home. She is currently the only female firefighter MFD employs.

“I just felt right at home here, and I knew that this was the place where I was supposed to be,” Parris said.

Maricopa Fire Department currently has four stations with trucks. Four individuals staff each truck, which is on duty for a 24-hour period. Firefighters work a total of three shifts on a three quarters schedule. They are on duty for 24 hours, off 24 hours, work 24 hours and are off 24 hours; then they have four days off work. They end up working different days each week.

A typical day for Parris begins with checking over the truck, making sure all the equipment is on it and in the right place. She talks to the crew going off duty about any important information that needs to be passed on. Usually some training is scheduled, either medical or some sort of training related to fire ground operations. “Of course, we are available for any calls that might come in. We also may shop during the day for dinner, which we will cook and eat together,” explained Parris.

“My crew tries to work out every shift since being physically fit is a very important aspect of the job. I do a combination of cardio workouts and strength training. You are expected to be able to lift and move heavy objects and advance fully charged hose lines. You need the ability to use heavy extrication equipment while wearing structural firefighting gear, which can weigh an additional 50 pounds,” Parris said.

The most memorable moment in her MFD career occurred two years ago when the department did a toy drive for needy children at Christmas. “One of the fire department members dressed up as Santa. I just remember seeing the faces light up. I remember this one little girl; you could tell that her family did not have much. She ran up and gave Santa the most genuine hug, and, when she got her gift, you could just tell that she was having the best day of her life.”

Parris says her inspiration is her parents. “They always taught me to set goals and work hard toward reaching them, and to do my best and never give up. They are very supportive and always tell me how proud they are of me and my successes.”

“There is still a lot of growth for MFD. We are a fairly young department and with the number of possibilities in the city of Maricopa there will be many opportunities within the department. I currently have my hazardous materials certification and want to be involved in that when it comes time for the department to put together a fully staffed team. I am also working toward becoming an engineer, (who drives the truck as well as assuming many other responsibilities),” Parris said.

Regarding her personal challenges, Parris noted, “Physically, just keeping in shape and being ready for anything that might happen. Mentally for me anything dealing with little kids can be the hardest to deal with, especially now being a parent.”

She emphasizes the importance of water safety, “Most definitely watching kids around water, any kind of water. With so many backyard pools present in the city (and in the Valley) it can never be stressed enough. People also need to realize that bathtubs and buckets of water can be just as dangerous to small children.”

Women in the firefighting profession have traditionally been met with skepticism. In response to that attitude, Parris said, “In my Maricopa Community College academy there were a total of four (women) out of twenty cadets. I was the only female in my hire group with Maricopa Fire. A firefighter, whether a male or female, is expected to be able to perform certain physical tasks, and, as long as female firefighters are able to perform these tasks along with their male counterparts, then really any doubts about their abilities should be gone.”

Parris added, “Personally I do feel that I need to work harder. I always want to make sure that I am able to accomplish any task that may come my way and make sure that I am capable of doing the job.”

Submitted photo