RFD to host women’s expo

(ABC 6 News) – The Rochester Fire Department will host a first-of-its-kind women’s expo.

The event will be on September 10, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Olmsted County Public Safety Training Center (1515 50th St. SE, Rochester, MN 55904).

The goal of the free event is to offer girls and women a chance to see firsthand that being a Firefighter is a viable and rewarding career choice.

“We hope this free expo gives area girls and women the chance to work together as a team and see that the job isn’t about how big you are, but how big your heart is,” shares Firefighter Mandee Marx. “It’s about breaking the stigma that you have to be a certain size and gender to do this job.”

At the expo, participants will get the chance to experience the following:

• Rappel from a three-story tower
• Climb the 110-foot aerial ladder
• Forcibly open a door
• Advance a hose line filled with water and spray water from the hose
• Search for and rescue a “victim”
• Learn how to extricate a person from a vehicle

Attendees will also get the chance to go through the physical agility test that Firefighters have to take after they receive a conditional offer of employment.

Women and girls 14 years old and up are invited to attend the expo, including those with previous and/or current Fire experience. Lunch will be provided. All attendees are asked to wear comfortable clothes and tennis shoes.

Questions can be directed to Firefighter Mandee Marx at amarx@rochestermn.gov or 507-328-2800