About Us
Young Leaders: Women in Fire was started by Nicole Meselsohn, an undergraduate and EMT
at Bard College as well as a volunteer EMT/firefighter with Red Hook Fire Company.
Women in Fire began as a Trustee Leader Scholar (TLS) project under Bard College but has since
expanded into neighboring communities with hopes of reaching and inspiring girls in high school.
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This program is an ongoing series of free workshops designed to introduce young women to different aspects of the fire service and allow them to meet fellow firefighters who are excited to share their story of joining the fire service, becoming an officer, and/or putting decades of time to reach where they are today.
Get to Know Us
Young Leaders: Women in Fire received the support of many fellow firefighters at Red Hook, such as Taylor Rabbett, who is also an EMT/firefighter and took on the project alongisde Nicole with more energy and commitment that could have been asked of her.
We have also had the opportunity to connect with firefighters such as Assistant Chief Cristal Kilmer of Germantown Hose Company, Lieutenant Tarah Suy of Claverack Fire Company, Captain Dani Seipp of Milan Fire Department, and Kelly Schermerhorn of Greenport Fire Department and hope to reach young women in high school who are looking to be introduced to the fire service.
Our Mission
Women have a place in the fire service. We hope this program will show young women that they have support and can make deep connections in an ever-changing and historically male-dominated workforce. It is often an unknown and scary path, but with time, we can walk through fire together.
See the Future
As we progress, we hope to hold workshops at least once a month and plan on including hands on experience with wearing fire protective gear and learning about fire dynamics & chemistry, hazardous materials and decontamination, hose operations, setting up and sizing up a scene, and many more aspects of what being in the fire service incorporates while responding to even one incident!
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We will also be highlighting firefighters with certain environmental knowledge and numerous years of experience in order to teach different classes!