This story was first published on Aug. 8, 2016
Cheryl Horvath, 蜜柚直播鈥檚 , is a literal and figurative boss.
She is the chief of Mountain Vista Fire District in northwest 蜜柚直播 and says she 鈥済ets herself into trouble鈥 advocating for gender and social equality on the web and in real life. She is raising a high school senior who wants to study forensic science. She has been president of the the International Association of Women in Fire and Emergency Services, chairs the Girl Scouts of Southern 蜜柚直播鈥檚 board, volunteers with 蜜柚直播鈥檚 January 8th Memorial Foundation and co-founded , a week-long training camp for girls interested in pursuing law enforcement and public safety careers. She plays golf and is addicted to 鈥淒ancing With the Stars.鈥
Cheryl Horvath
Read what Mountain Vista Fire's resident badass has to say about her new position, social justice and breaking social norms:
On being a fire chief:
It鈥檚 pretty darn cool. I feel like I鈥檝e made it. I don鈥檛 want to say I鈥檓 at the end of a journey because I kind of feel like I鈥檓 beginning another one, so maybe I鈥檓 in the middle of something. The climb is over, so now it鈥檚 鈥渨hat do I do with it?鈥
On breaking the glass ceiling in a 96 percent male-dominated profession:
I think what helped me is I came in the service when I was 32 years old. I think if I had come in the service when I was 21, it would have been a different experience for me. But I came in with some years on and I think I was able to handle a lot more. I think I demanded a lot more respect for myself, just based on having confidence walking in the door, opposed to a 21-year old walking in the door of a fire station being the only woman going, 鈥淥h my god, what have I just gotten myself into?鈥
On feminism with a capital F:
I鈥檓 absolutely a feminist. Oh, absolutely. And I鈥檓 not afraid to say it, either 鈥 it鈥檚 not a dirty word like some people make it out to be.
After returning from a call, Battalion Chief Darin Reid talks with Cheryl Horvath, Mountain Vista Fire District鈥檚 new leader. Horvath was previously division chief with Northwest Fire, and is the third female to become a fire chief in the 蜜柚直播 area.
On advocating for workplace equality IRL and online:
I do it everyday. I鈥檓 constantly advocating for issues that women are confronted with. I think we have to 鈥 we have to be part of the conversation, and we have to keep the conversation going.
I speak at conferences and write articles and get myself in trouble advocating on behalf of women 鈥 just kidding. and if you read the comments, there are people accusing me of just trying to make a name for myself 鈥 you know, make money 鈥 which is funny because I don鈥檛 make a dime off any of that 鈥 You can tell it鈥檚 uncomfortable for people. Especially because the fire service is generally a traditional service, although out here in the western part of U.S. it鈥檚 more accepting.
On the place of social justice in public safety:
In public safety, we have a very unique opportunity to connect with the community. We have the opportunity to reach a broader audience. We have the opportunity to create partnerships with nonprofits, businesses that serve high-risk populations. And social justice is all about equal opportunity, so those kind of go hand in hand 鈥 when we鈥檙e serving high-risk groups, we鈥檙e giving them the opportunity to lead the quality of life everyone else leads.
Cheryl Horvath (middle, black helmet) instructs听local high school girls lifting a ladder during a drill at a three-day fire camp at the Public Safety Training Academy.
On creating Camp Fury:
It鈥檚 all about non-traditional occupations. Show these girls they can become firefighters, police officers, fighter pilots, border patrol agents, federal agents, judges. We give the girls the opportunity to see women in just awesome leadership roles. It鈥檚 unfortunate, but I think young girls often get siloed in their thinking, and it鈥檚 society鈥檚 fault, but they get very siloed in their thinking of what they can and can鈥檛 do. So we want them to see firefighters come in all shapes and sizes, police officers come in all shapes and sizes, and everybody鈥檚 experience is different. It鈥檚 grown into this movement of just encouraging girls to be leaders in their communities.
On being a mentor for girls and young women:
[Girls and women] can do anything they put their minds to, as tried as that sounds, as simplistic as that sounds. It鈥檚 my turn to reach down and start helping these young women be what they want to be. I don鈥檛 even care if someone wants to come into me and start talking about being an attorney, let鈥檚 have the conversation. Because I want to help give that young lady the support she needs to keep going with her dream.
On being a badass:
I suppose I should consider myself a badass. I鈥檝e had people tell me I am 鈥 let鈥檚 put it that way.
Editor鈥檚 note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.