An Edmonton firefighter will be bringing hot tales to the St. Albert library next month as part of a new series focused on community role models.
Daisy vanRavenswaay of Edmonton Fire Rescue Services will be the host of Story Time with Daisy the Firefighter this April 6 at the St. Albert Public Library’s downtown location. The event is the first of three story time sessions that will see everyday role models promote literacy.
St. Albert Public Library children’s services co-ordinator Ashley King said staff got the idea for this series after seeing scores of kids come out to hear Mayor Cathy Heron read. Noting that kids looked up to firefighters, cops, and bus drivers, they invited vanRavenswaay, RCMP Cst. Vernon Hagen, and St. Albert Transit driver Marvin Smith to come out and read.
Everyday heroes
vanRavenswaay was the first woman to join the Edmonton fire department in 12 years when she signed on about seven years ago. She is now an active advocate for the department’s equity and diversity initiatives and Camp Inspire, a firefighting camp that promotes firefighting to women and gender-diverse individuals. She received a Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal last year for her community service.
vanRavenswaay said she agreed to come to this April’s event to promote firefighting give young boys and girls a chance to speak with a woman firefighter.
“I’ve run into women on the street when I hop out of the truck and I just see their eyes light up,” she said.
vanRavenswaay said she was one of about 18 women in the Edmonton fire department. Women make up about one per cent of the department, compared to the national average of four per cent.
“When it comes to meeting the mark, I feel Edmonton has a long way to go.”
vanRavenswaay said the best part of her job was the variety: you could be fighting a fire one day, pulling someone out of a river the next, and doing some relaxed training at the station the day after.
“It’s really exciting, it’s super fun, and you get to help people out on some of the really bad days they’re having.”
vanRavenswaay said she was a big fan of reading and would spend all day in the library as a kid. In addition to talking about her job and showing off her bunker gear, she planned to read two stories to the kids next month: Firefighter Flo!, which is about a female firefighter, and Send a Girl!, which is the story of Brenda Berkman, the first woman to join the New York City Fire Department.
“Whenever I read that book, I feel like it brings a tear to my eye,” vanRavenswaay said of the latter tale, as it was so inspirational.
King said Hagen’s story time session will be at the library’s downtown location on May 11. Smith’s session will be at the Jensen Lakes branch on June 8. Visit sapl.ca for details.
