the fire service has mainly been seen as
a male-dominated field but recently more
women have taken the challenge to become
firefighters showing they are just as
capable as the men when it comes to
doing rigorous physical work Karolina
Cardona is live from Winter Park where
they trained and Karolina you
experienced firsthand some of the
exercises looks like you're doing some
right now and I imagine this really had
to be tough I am look at this I'm
actually training you guys just in case
this TV gig does not work out I'm on one
of the equipment's it's actually a stair
machine and we're located in one of the
facilities that the recruits actually
have to come here Monday through Friday
for a 10-week program where they are
conditioned to become the next
firefighters of Orange County and you
know I got a chance to take a few hours
and spend some time with them and just
take a look and a freely hands-on
feeling as to what it's like to be in
this type of class
these recruits all aspire to become the
next class of Orange County firefighters
among the group of 46 nine are women
sometimes when people see females in
their group they think that she is going
to be the lesser Belinda Venice is a
recent graduate of the non certified
recruit class and now helps train others
she remembers that as a recruit she
refused to be seen as the weak link in a
field dominated by men it was always my
job to not only prove myself as a female
but to show that I'm not only as good as
the guys but I can be better than the
guys and make them work hard when
they're working with me as well there
are no concessions for female or male
firefighter everyone is held to the same
standard assistant chief of training for
Orange County was one of the first to
bring on more minority than females into
the fire department although we're
seeing more women joining she says
there's still work to be done I still
think that there is a culture to
overcome that believes that females
should not be in the fire service we
still have that male mentality that this
is a boys club we're actively and very
progressively working through that to
get a taste of what it's like to be a
recruit well I put my storytelling aside
for a bit first up the row machine
not so bad I thought but that was just
the warmup I think the Ronin was a
little easier but I think I'm going to
stick to my storytelling but a little
ladder exercise wasn't going to make me
give up because y'all know that when a
woman sets her mind to something she
gets it done you can do this job but
it's made for anyone as long as you have
the desire to want to do it okay so we
are back here alive and check this out
this is actually one of the machines
it's an equipment it's a three-in-one
equipment right now what one of these
firefighters is doing she's actually
showing us how they use this mechanism
this is called a reach ceiling pull and
what it does is basically help them
train in order to breach through that
ceiling to check to see if there's a
fire above them this also has a hose
attached to it and what she's gonna do
now she's gonna show us a little bit of
how you know they have to pull it I'm
sure you guys saw it in the package but
just to give you an idea a better look
at what it's like to pull this heavy
equipment
[Applause]
there you go so they also have to drag
it when you drag it it's actually to
train in order to see what you know your
resistance and stirring at the time just
in case a another firefighter or a
victim needs to be dragged out away from
danger so I am told that there is no age
limit you do have to be 18 in order to
join the fire service but whether you're
18 or whether you're 40 you can sign up
so hey ladies if you're up for it here's
the opportunity for you that's all that
I have
live from Winter Park I'm Catalina
Cardona new 6 at night Karolina we're
all exhausted from watching you that is
very impressive you were dragging some
heavy stuff there
how much does all that way yeah I'm
being told this is ways about this whole
equipment it's it's at least I could say
260 pounds about 260 so that's tough and
hats off to these ladies that you know
they have some intense workout so it's a
great great great thing to see right now
Karolina thank you I mean that is
impressive and you know firefighters I
mean it's just like they can do anything
they can do anything
I know bully too personally yeah and if
God forbid I'm stuck in anything I want
her pull my butt out of there she's
she's she's a very impressive woman
absolutely yes