K.C. Jordan, LJI Journalist
Emma Rochon and Talira Savard are Grade 11 students at École secondaire Sieur-de-Coulonge (ESSC). They’re both teenage girls, and they’re both firefighters.
Well, technically they’re not certified quite yet, but they hope to by the end of May if everything goes according to plan.
The pair are students in ESSC’s firefighter training course, a first-of-its-kind initiative in Quebec started last year which allows students to get their Firefighter 1 certification while still attending regular high school classes.
Once a week, students get together to learn firefighting skills with teacher Martin Bertand, who is also captain of the Bryson and Grand Calumet Fire Department. They run drills with local fire departments, get their first responder certification, and respond to emergencies. Students in the program are working hard in preparation for their final exam in May.
Last Thursday Rochon, Savard, and Bertrand were in Quebec City for the Forces Avenir gala, an annual event that celebrates the accomplishments of high school students and educators across the province.
The occasion? Their program had received a silver award in the “projet engagé” (dedicated projet) category, and was up for the “coup de coeur” (people’s choice) award.
After two and a half suspenseful hours, Rochon and Savard were called up on stage to accept the “coup de coeur” award.
Both girls were nervous, especially because of the interview-style format in which the gala host asked the girls questions about the project.
“I was in shock and surprised, but I was really proud of us,” Savard said.
Bertrand, too, was proud. In an interview with THE EQUITY the day after the gala he said seeing the pair on stage brought a tear to his eye. “These girls have worked hard,” he said.
Rochon and Savard represented their class in Quebec City because they were elected co-captains by their classmates — a group that consists of mostly boys.
Savard was proud they got the nod over their male counterparts. “We’re not a lot of girls and it’s really awesome that we were picked by all the guys.”
According to a 2021 nationwide survey by the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs, only 11 per cent of firefighters in Canada are women.
Savard said it can be tough being a girl in a male-dominated profession, and in her short time as a first responder she’s seen her fair share of prejudice.