Minneapolis Review

The Minneapolis Women's Firefighter's Association and the Minneapolis Fire Department invite you to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the first all-woman crew in Minneapolis Fire Department history:

• Captain Jean Kidd
• Fire Motor Operator Mary Mohn
• Firefighter Vicki Hoff
• Firefighter Bonnie Bleskachek

The first woman wasn’t hired as a firefighter for the Minneapolis Fire Department until 1986, over one hundred years after the department was founded. Among the early hires were these four women who, in September 1992, made up the first all-woman crew in MFD history on Engine 5.

In the early 2000s, Minneapolis was a world leader with a fire department that included 70 women, almost 15 percent of the force. There is approximately half that, only 38 women on the department, today.

These four women served as a driving force of positive developmental change and evolution of not only the Minneapolis Fire Department, but fire departments worldwide, and were among the early hires made up the first all-woman crew in Minneapolis Fire Department history.

Recognition event

10 a.m., Friday, Sept. 23

Minneapolis Fire Station 5, 2700 Bloomington Ave. S.

There will be remarks from the women, community and department leaders and city officials, and an unveiling of the plaque that will be installed at Station 5 to commemorate their history making.

Hosted by the Minneapolis WOMEN employee resource group.

Original source can be found here.