By FireRescue1 Staff
SWAMPSCOTT, Mass. — After more than 29 years of service as the department’s first female firefighter, Lt. Sheila Scranton retired Sept. 8.
Scranton, 60, told ItemLive her decision to retire has been in the works over the last year, and plans to spend her time with family and her grandson.
As the department’s first female firefighter, Scranton said, “Being the first woman, you just have to to prove yourself.”
In order to become a firefighter, Scranton had to pass both a physical strength test and psychological evaluation; she said carrying a 125-pound dummy was the most stressful part for her.
“Not only did she come into an exclusively male workplace, she came into a building designed to be an all male workplace,” Swampscott Fire Chief Kevin Breen said. “It took some time to pull off, but ultimately a female dorm area and bathroom were carved out of a building built in the 1960s that never anticipated female firefighters.”
Scranton said the highlight of her career was becoming a lieutenant.
“I would say just don’t take life for granted,” Scranton said while reflecting on her career.