Liz Hardaway
Connecticut Post, Bridgeport
(TNS)
Mar. 30—Shelly L. Carter was pushing her son in a stroller one day when they came across a fire truck.
Like many kids, he was ecstatic about the truck, and though Carter didn't want to interrupt their work, a firefighter encouraged them to come over. They spoke for more than an hour and the firefighter explained how the department was looking for women to apply.
"I can't do this," Carter thought to herself. "I'm a girly girl. This is hard work."
But Carter applied and joined the Hartford Fire Department in July 1999. After more than two decades of service, the Hartford native is now New England's first Black female fire chief.
Hired in December 2022 as the chief of the Southbury Training Center Fire Department, Carter was honored Wednesday by Gov. Ned Lamont in a pinning ceremony at the state Capitol.
"It's an honor, but most importantly, it is my responsibility and my duty to mentor, to be an example and to be that leader that other folks, not just in Connecticut, but of course in New England look up to," she said in a phone call Thursday morning.
Carter was with the Hartford Fire Department for more than 20 years, during which she was one of the city department's first female engine drivers. She retired as the captain of Engine 10 in 2021 and then joined the Connecticut Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security in May 2021 as the operations and training manager for the state, she said.
Before becoming a firefighter, Carter thought she wanted to be a news anchor. She went to school for communications and held several jobs before considering firefighting. Carter said she took the police and fire tests and decided whichever she scored higher on would be her career path.
"The fire service kind of chose me," she said.
The fire department helps protect the staff, clients and families at the Southbury Training Center, a state-run facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities. As the chief, Carter is hoping to update and expand fire protection and safety measures for people with disabilities across the state. This includes ensuring group homes and state-owned facilities are up to code and local fire marshals have the resources to keep vulnerable residents safe.
The mother of five mentors other women in the field about managing their careers and home lives.
"I'm a huge advocate for women in the fire services and that's simply because I was told no so many times," Carter said. "It's important for me to ungird and really encourage women who're working currently in the fire service, but also who might be interested in the career."
"It's hard sometimes being female and being that mom and wanting to be that leader," she continued. "It's important for me to have the conversation with ladies, not just about being firefighters, because it's a whole different mindset in the firehouse when you're working as the only female or female in leadership to all men."
But she also tries to be there for anyone who needs her, not just women.
"I couldn't be here without my amazing brothers and those who rooted for me," she said.
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