This session is designed to educate individuals in public service and help them understand the hurdles, and also the advantages, to being a minority/female in the fire service. The fire service has for so long been a "brotherhood" but you don't need to be a man to be a member of that elite group of firefighters. Being a minority, whether it be your gender or race or otherwise, is no longer to be looked at as a fault but as a gift. Using the trials and tribulations associated with being a female in the fire service, especially as a ranking officer, the presenter will attempt to help others overcome or even avoid those same hurdles. Firefighting is not just a career, but a lifestyle that can affect more than some of us would like to admit. Being promoted is a tough road for any firefighter. Finding your way through the ranks can cost you friends, other employment, marriages and even sometimes your own identity. This session could make a big difference in the way people view not only women in officer/chief positions, but in the ranks in general.