Bemidji Fire Department hosts Women Explore Fire Day Saturday

A free, hands-on day at Bemidji Fire Hall 1 is meant to do more than show off trucks and gear. Bemidji firefighters are using Women Explore Fire Day to widen the recruitment pipeline for a department that protects three cities and 15 townships.

The first-ever event will run Saturday, May 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Bemidji Fire Hall 1, 318 Fifth St. NW, with registration beginning at 9:30 a.m. Organizers are planning live demonstrations, station tours and direct interaction with firefighters so participants can see the work up close and ask questions about what the job looks like day to day.

That hands-on approach matters in a field that has long been male dominated. By inviting women into the station instead of simply handing out information, Bemidji is trying to address both awareness and confidence, two barriers that often shape whether someone imagines firefighting as a possible career.

The city says the fire department’s primary mission is to protect lives and property, and it leans on education and prevention to serve its broader fire protection area. Fire safety education and station tours are already part of that public-service role, and city information lists 218-751-8001 as the number to request a Family Safety House appearance or a Bemidji Fire Department station tour.

The local effort also connects to a wider regional push. Bemidji firefighter Alexis Joyce serves as the Region 2 lead for Women Explore Fire Day, tying Saturday’s event to a statewide initiative rather than a one-off open house. That matters for a city department covering a large rural area, where every new applicant can affect future staffing depth and response capacity.

The national numbers show why departments are paying attention. The National Fire Protection Association said women made up about 8% of the U.S. firefighter workforce in 2020. In another NFPA injury report, female firefighters accounted for 4% of fireground injuries, while the organization also noted that structural and wildland firefighting protective clothing has historically been designed primarily for male firefighters.

NFPA research on female firefighter protective equipment has focused on design, comfort and mobility, issues that can shape whether women stay in the profession once they enter it. In Bemidji, Saturday’s event puts those workforce questions in plain view: if the department can expand who sees firefighting as an option, it can also widen the pool of people ready to answer calls across Beltrami County and the surrounding area.