LOUISVILLE, Ky. — In the last 10 years, the number of female firefighters has grown. In 2020, the National Fire Protection Association said there were approximately 90,000 female firefighters in the United States. The same NFPA study found only 9% of fire chiefs were women. A Jefferson County fire department is joining those ranks, naming the first female fire chief in the county.

What You Need To Know

  • Fairdale Fire Department named Carrie Blevins chief

  • She has been interim chief of the department. She officially becomes chief Jan. 1, 2025

  • Blevins became a volunteer over 20 years ago and worked her way up the ranks

  • Blevins will be the first female fire chief in Jefferson County

Fairdale Fire Department interim chief Carrie Blevins said she found a passion for fire service and became a volunteer over 20 years ago and quickly realized what she wanted to do.

Carrie Blevins has served as the interim chief for the Fairdale Fire Department in Jefferson County. She will become chief on Jan. 1, 2025. (Kyle Shepherd)

“I was like, ‘I want to be a training officer one day.’ And then I was like, ‘You know what? I want to be fire chief.’ Let’s just shoot for the moon,” said Blevins.

After years of moving up the ranks, Blevins was appointed the department’s interim chief and on Jan. 1, 2025, her badge will change from deputy chief to chief of the Fairdale Fire Department.

“It’s still surreal that it’s happening. It’s crazy to think … sometimes I don’t even realize when I think about it that I started at 21 years ago. It’s still I’m still so passionate as the day I started,” shared Blevins.

Blevins already has a five-year plan for the department to be proactive.

“My top goal was firefighter safety and health. And I’ve already started to implement things to make that happen,” said Blevins.

The plan includes mental health peer support groups for firefighters and adding ultrasounds to the yearly physicals.

“They’re now going to get an ultrasound on all their vital organs so that they can have diagnoses early. So hopefully that prevents fatalities from cancer,” said Blevins.

Carrie Blevins will become the first woman fire chief in Jefferson County on Jan. 1, 2025 (Kyle Shepherd)

“We are the only suburban department without EMS. So I’m currently working with my board and legal, trying to figure out how we can implement an EMS service to our fire protection district to provide shorter wait times,” she added.

Blevins hopes her position will inspire more women to become firefighters.

“We have currently three females in our department now and I would love to see that roster grow, but because they can do the job, not just because they’re females. I just hope that females see it and they say, ‘Oh, I can do that,’” said Blevins.

Blevins wants the department to be more involved with the community and invites the Fairdale community to visit the firehouse. They are always looking for volunteer firefighters and junior firefighters