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Dream comes true for female firefighterBy DANA GOWEROf The Leader-C all StaffFor Vondia Denise Ponder, Laurel's only woman firefighter, her dream of joining the Laurel Fire Department has been a long time coming. •It was back in 1984 that she saw an advertisement in the newspaper that a test was being given to anyone interested in joining the fire department.The city wasn’t ready then for a woman firefighter, however, and it wasn’t until February of this year that she was hired and only recently that she completed her training at the state academy.“It took a lot of work to get into shape just to pass the physical requirements to be eligible to participate in the two-week course at the Mississippi Fire Academy,” she said. To get into shape, she joined an aerobics and a gym class, in addition to exercising at the fire station.“They told me what to expect,’’ she said of the other firefighters.“She spent her entire day either studying or exercising,” Fire Chief Harry Steele said. “On her own, she got the requirements at the academy.”Since firefighting has traditionally been a man’s job, Steele said, Ponder has had to prove herself to the other firefighters, which she has been successful inv“A firefighter has got to trust another firefighter,” Steele said. “She’s been accepted exceptionally well.”Ponder said she not only enjoyed attending the fire academy — and hopes to return for future classes — she has also enjoyed the experience of going out and fighting real fires. In one case, she was sent into a house in full gear to check for possible occupants.“I deliberately sent her with one of the men.” Steele said. “No matter how dramatic you make it in practice, it can never match real firefighting. You have to learn to control your mind as well as your body.”Staff photo/Dana GowerYondia Ponder is Laurel’s first female firefighter
Newspaper Details
Laurel Leader Call
Laurel, Mississippi, US
Sat, Jul 11, 1987
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 04 Mar 2020
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