February 29, 2024
2 Black Women Create Sisterhood In Baltimore City’s Fire Department
These two Black women firefighters are representing as they work to create sisterhood and boost diversity in Baltimore's Fire Department.
African American women remain underrepresented in firefighting, comprising just 8% of uniformed firefighters nationwide.
With only 7% of Black female firefighters in the Baltimore City Fire Department, Captain Shanntel Wilkins and EMT Tiffany Randolph are trailblazers, confronting challenges as they develop a sisterhood in the workforce.
Out of over 1,600 employees, there are only 29 African American women in the suppression unit and eight in EMS, according to CBS News who, noted the city’s 2023 Equity Statistics. Creating a sisterhood for support and recruitment is an important mission for the Black female firefighters. Wilkins and Randolph believe their culture and perspective save lives in Baltimore’s predominantly Black communities. “You don’t get that feeling of ridicule or shame when you go to a fellow Black woman who has endured the same type of struggle,” Randolph shared. “We like to think first, especially since it’s such a dangerous job,” Randolph said about women’s approach.
Wilkins, who became a captain in September 2023, said she never saw female firefighters, growing up. “I did not think about a woman being a firefighter, she shared. “I never saw any.” Now a role model for her daughter, Wilkins has endured skepticism, jumping into the male-dominated profession. “I just woke up one day and decided I wanted to get into something my little girl could see and be proud of me,” Wilkins recalled about becoming a firefighter.
Randolph transitioned from social work seven years ago to fulfill her passion for helping people on the frontlines, but being part of the minority takes a toll. “To come into a white male-dominated career is a second task,” she said. “It’s just task full, but not impossible.”
Wilkins shared that she has faced sly comments questioning her abilities. Her response to critics: “You walk past that.”
The latest census recorded Baltimore’s population is predominantly African American, with Blacks comprising roughly 63%. The Fire Department aims to boost diversity through high school training programs and Camp Spark, engaging girls’ interest in firefighting from a young age. Earlier this month, over 300 Baltimore City residents learned “Hands-Only CPR” with the fire department.
In January, the department spotlighted Lt. Jenell A. Taylor, who received the Firefighter of the Year Award from “Cure Operation Pulse” at Zion Baptist Church in Northeast Baltimore.
RELATED CONTENT: BLACK FIREFIGHTERS IN CHICAGO CALL FOR JUSTICE ON MLK DAY