Years ago, Dyson discovered her passion for firefighting, and ever since then, she has been committed to making her dream a reality. Inspired by her grandfather and her uncle, Dyson joined the Central Nine program ready to challenge herself both physically and mentally.

”Being a firefighter means a lot to me honestly,” Dyson said. “I get to enjoy doing something I love every day.”

For Green, her older sister inspired her to join the program. 

“I became interested in firefighting when my sister took this class two years ago,” Green said. “She said it would be really fun and made me want to take it.”

At C9, Dyson and Green train for everything the fire service demands, pushing through physical and mental challenges while learning about discipline. Along the way, the two have encountered experiences they say shaped them into stronger and mentally tough people.

”Teamwork and discipline are some of the biggest factors in becoming a firefighter… you have to hold yourself accountable,” Dyson said. “I honestly never thought I would learn how to properly train and become a firefighter until I stepped into this program.”

“Being a firefighter means hard work and it relies on teamwork and building off each other,” Green said. “It is a very people-oriented career.”

Learning to work as a woman in a male-dominated field isn’t always easy, according to Dyson, but it is worth it. 

”You begin to gain a lot of respect,” Dyson said. “You gain a lot of brothers and sisters in the field.”

For Green, being a female in a male-dominated field isn’t that different than others may believe.

“There are only three girls in my class so all my classmates are very accepting,” Green said. “They don’t treat us differently or anything like that so it’s very welcoming.”

Dyson and Green are not only taking their classes for academic credit.

“At the end of it, we get the career out of it and we’ll get our certifications,” Green said. “It’s all worth it in the end to be able to help others.”