Norfolk County Fire Department promotes its first female suppression captain

The Norfolk County Fire Department (NCFD) is proud to announce the promotion of volunteer firefighter, Jackie Mussel, to captain. In her new role as captain, Mussel will supervise volunteer firefighters at the station and in emergencies – and provide training and mentorship to staff.

Captain Mussel has over ten years of experience with various fire departments around the province and holds an impressive number of certifications in various fire department specialties.

“I’m proud and excited to continue to learn and apply my skills as a Captain for Norfolk County Fire and look forward to the many challenges that come with the role,” said Mussel. “Always keeping in mind that these roles don’t work without the dedicated team of firefighters in our stations and I’m very blessed to work alongside some of the best.”

Captain Mussel is the first woman to take on the role of captain with the suppression division of the department. The NCFD is focused on building an organizational culture that is diverse and inclusive – which includes encouraging more women to consider a career as a firefighter. Currently, Norfolk County employs 253 volunteer firefighters, and only 13 are female.

“Many female residents have told us they have never considered joining the fire department because they didn’t know if it was something they could physically do,” said Fire Chief Gord Stilwell. “Firefighting is a physically demanding job with inherent risks, however, it’s a complete myth to think you must be a big burly person with the strength of an ox to be a firefighter. That’s not reality.”

Members of the public interested in learning more about how to become a firefighter can visit norfolkcountyfire.ca.