Female firefighters rise to meet challenges of profession

LEVELLAND -- It takes a special person to become a first responder who runs toward an event rather than away. This is a person with specialized training who is often first on the scene of an emergency, and provides assistance. First responders include paramedics, emergency medical technicians, police officers and firefighters.

At South Plains College, two extraordinary women are learning what it takes to be on the front line during emergency situations. Darien Williams of Canyon is the Battalion Chief of the class. Taylor Coke of Lubbock Cooper is the Lieutenant of Engine II. Both women strive to make their mark in a mostly male-dominated profession. It is their leadership skills that make them standouts in the SPC Fire Academy.

“I’ve always been drawn to more physically demanding career choices,” she said. “I’m also in the Army Reserves as a military police officer.”

Williams doesn’t used the word “quit” because of life experiences. She uses this as motivation as she excels in the classroom and field training. She is a returnee to the SPC Fire Academy. She left the program in 2017 to give birth to her daughter, Leightyn. Williams also has a 5-year-old daughter Eralynn. Her husband, Blake Edwards works for a lineman company. He served in the U.S. Navy and completed tours in Afghanistan and Japan.

“I love a challenge. I was raised an only child by an Army Ranger and so, I was like the boy he never had,” she said. “I wasn’t raised to sit behind a desk.”

Williams has completed four of her six-year commitment to the U.S. Army. She entered as a reservist and completed boot camp in Fort Leonardwood, Mo. Her unit is located in Grand Prairie just outside of Dallas. One weekend a month, Williams travels to Dallas and she also serves two weeks in the summer.

“My brother-in-law was a firefighter in Carlsbad, and he also went through the SPC Fire Academy program and graduated in 2016,” she said. “That’s how I learned about SPC. Now, he’s in law enforcement where he’s training and earning his certification.”

So far, Williams said the hardest thing she’s had to face so far is being away from her children. Her schedule requires that she’s in class Monday through Thursday from 6 to 10 p.m.. and every other Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.. 

 “The guys here have been very good,” she said. “They’ve been very accepting. Not many people are accepting of working under a woman. That is also why I work out five of the seven days in the week so I stay physically on top. It gives me an edge.”

Williams said she wants to be a role model that inspires others. She said, “Don’t settle for less than what you want. It’s not about how good you are – it’s how bad you want it. That’s been a life motto for me.”

SPC Fire Academy student Coke found her way to the SPC Fire Academy after completing the Emergency Medical Services Program for EMT Basic last semester.

“I looked at my parents’ lives and they are both medics, and they live fine but I thought I wanted more,” she said. “My current boyfriend, Jarret McElroy, was actually in the Fire Academy last year and he completed it. And, he talked me into it.

“I honestly was pretty scared about it – I didn’t know anything about it (the academy),” she said. “But I felt like that was something I could do more in if I got hired because we have a lot of community health initiatives in Lubbock as far as the fire department goes.”

Although Coke said her career goal is to become a Fire Marshall which also carries a peace officer training and licensure.  She said she also will complete her paramedic’s licensure.

“Hopefully, I’d be a triple threat in the emergency aspect of life,” she said.

While the two women share leadership roles within the academy, Coke said, the similarities end there. 

“I am nothing compared to Ms. Williams – she is like a war machine,” she said. “I’m am like your average 5 foot 5. I like to watch Netflix on the couch. I like Pinterest and all of the conventional things. It shows that no one person is right or the job and any woman could do it if she wanted.

“I think what sets me apart is that I am an adrenaline junkie and I love a challenge,” Coke said.

Cook said the pair have their work cut out. Statistically, there are proportionally less female firefighters in the service than males. She said she has to keep her mind in the game and stay psyched up especially when she’s surrounded by so many burley male students.

“It’s nice to see other women have pursued this profession,” she said. “You know you have to work 10 times harder ‘coz you’re smaller. I don’t think if I tried to scare a leaf, it wouldn’t go anywhere.”

Coke said she hasn’t experienced any pushback from the guys in the academy. She attributes this to the fact that her generation is more open and exposed to everybody having abilities to do whatever they want. She said she doesn’t have any qualms regarding the amount of respect shown to the female leaders.

Williams and Coke will graduate in May 2019. Both hope to land jobs in the Fire Department. Coke said she will continue to complete the EMT and Paramedic certifications.

FEMALE FIRST RESPONDERS – Battalion Chief Darien Williams of Canyon, left, and Lieutenant of Engine II Taylor Coke of Lubbock Cooper recently participated in the South Plains College Fire Academy Memorial Stair Climb at the Lubbock Fire Training Center. (SPC Photo/Wes Underwood)