DAVENPORT, Fla. — The Davenport Fire Department welcomed its first female firefighter Monday.
Jessica Spell, 23, was the first female hired in the department’s history.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity the department has given me,” Spell told News Chief. “I just hope I set a good example.”
Spell will be the first female firefighter on the team to hold a paid, full-time position since the department switched from being a volunteer service in 2004.
“When we posted the position, she came and knocked on my door and said, ‘I want that full-time position,” Davenport Fire Chief Jerry Torrance said. “She actually volunteered to do it for free until we made a decision.”
Spell said her desire to work in the fire service stemmed from listening to her father talk about his experiences in the Army during the Vietnam War. She is currently studying to become a paramedic.
“I just wanted to do something exciting and hands-on,” Spell said. “EMS did that for me.”