MAYNARD — The Maynard Fire Department is pleased to announce that Chief Angela Lawless has graduated from the National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer Program.
Chief Lawless graduated from the Program last month in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Lawless is one of 4,659 fire service leaders, and only 105 from Massachusetts, to reach this achievement.
The Executive Fire Officer Program is a multiyear curriculum that teaches fire service and emergency management leaders how to implement policy solutions regarding the safety and resilience of communities, and about leadership skills.
Students were tasked with creating a final capstone project, where they identified a problem and applied the concepts learned throughout the program to determine a solution.
Chief Lawless’ capstone, “Strategies to Help Promote Women in the Fire Service,” discussed the lack of women in leadership positions within the fire service. Chief Lawless was promoted in February, one of three female fire chiefs within Massachusetts.
In her capstone, Lawless contrasted the number of women in leadership roles in fire services to those in law enforcement and the military. She found that 300 women serve in formal leadership roles in fire service, or 0.9 percent, compared to 17 percent in law enforcement and 23 percent in the military.
Through this extensive research, Lawless determined that fire service leaders need to determine what barriers are preventing women from taking leadership roles. Lawless constructed a template focused on increasing gender diversity that would allow decision-makers to increase recruitment, retention, and customer service.
Chief Lawless plans to continue her work advocating for gender diversity throughout the fire service by sharing the knowledge she gained with other leaders within the fire service. She intends to find more opportunities, professional development, mentor programs, and experiences that help women in the fire service excel.
“It has been a long-time goal to be accepted into the esteemed National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer Program. To be a part of the educational process was a huge accomplishment on its own. As public safety servants, we want to have a positive impact on the fire service and make changes that are impactful to the communities we serve. It was a privilege and an honor to be a student, surrounded by the best fire service leaders in the country, as teachers and fellow students,” said Chief Lawless.
“I could not have accomplished everything I have worked towards without the never-ending support from my husband, our three children, my parents, and the members of the Maynard Fire Department. It is my hope that the research I have completed in the program will assist decision-makers in the fire service to increase their gender diversity in their departments and improve the customer service model of the fire service to both our internal and external stakeholders,” said Chief Lawless. “This program gave me an opportunity to speak about these issues and I am honored to have been a part of this process, working with open minded and dedicated individuals. I want to help change the statistics. Being one of only three female fire chiefs in Massachusetts, I want to help create opportunities for other women and young girls and show them that women can be leaders too.”
Chief Lawless began her fire service career in 2003 and joined the Maynard Fire Department in 2012. She quickly became an integral part of the department moving to the rank of captain in 2018 and being promoted to Chief in 2023.
For more information about the U.S. Fire Administration Fire Academy click here.
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