DUBLIN, Ohio — An ongoing struggle fire departments are now finding themselves facing is recruiting new firefighters, but it's even harder to see women joining the industry. 

What You Need To Know

  • Only 6 out of around 130 firefighters are women at the Washington Township Fire Department

  • Lauri Lovell joined the fire service 24 years ago

  • Lovell became part of the industry on a whim and currently works at two separate fire agencies as a paramedic and fire chief

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, 5% of all career firefighters are women. 

Lauri Lovell has been a firefighter for 24 years and is currently working as a paramedic at Washington Township fire and as Fire Chief at Big Walnut Joint Fire District.

For the last 20, she's been at the Washington Township Fire Department, and since joining, the number of females has gone up. Lovell is now one of six women out of 130.

"It’s something that you are just naturally drawn to,” said Lovell.

Lovell remembers her days before fire service and decided to make the switch while working as a dispatcher. 

“It was kinda by accident,” Lovell said. “I started dispatching in Delaware County for 911 and made contact with someone who was an assistant Chief up at the volunteer department, and he keep urging me ‘Try volunteering, you might like it.’" 

Now, years later, as Lovell gears up to get ready for her next call, she hasn't let anything hold her back, especially when it comes to gender.

"I am one of those people where I don’t ask for any special treatment,” said Lovell. “I thank God every day that I have been welcomed into this career that is basically, as you said, primarily male dominant." 

Many firefighters like Lovell even consider it their second home, and no matter the stress the job brings, she has the camaraderie and support of her fellow firefighters — all sharing the same passion. 

“There’s days where do we honestly save a life? No. We may come in and make someone’s bad day not so bad. I guess I want to know if I’ve made a difference in one person in my career. That’s all that matters,” Lovell said.