Pillars of Empowerment

Ashley Montoya worked for an association management company managing the Emergency Medical Services Association of Colorado (EMSAC) when she and others observed a gap in helping women in EMS.

The association in August 2022 selected female leaders due to job experience and their current roles to assess whether there was a lack of support for women in emergency management, emergency response, and emergency services.

Some survey results:

• 87.5 percent agreed with the statement “As a woman in a male-dominated industry, I feel that I am at a disadvantage.”
• 62.5 percent strongly agreed with the statement “There is a need for a women-focused group to provide services and support specific to the needs of women in the emergency response industry (connection, resources, mentorship).”
• 75 percent strongly agreed with the statement “I would be interested in joining an organization that provides services and support specific to the needs of women in the emergency response industry.”

“It was obvious there were no resources out there to help women, so we began forming our group of founding advisors and worked on launching the association,” says Montoya of Women in Emergency Services (WiES), for which she serves as executive director.

WiES is a 501(c)3 fiscal sponsor project of the Denver-based National Trust for Nonprofits, and is focused on the empowerment and advancement of the thousands of women in emergency response and emergency management. Its focus is to create a platform for women in emergency services to provide resources needed to achieve their full potential in their careers, connect with peers, and empower others.

Four Pillars of Support

The WiES mission is to support and advance women's careers in the emergency services industry, from field providers to national leadership, through four pillars:

• Empowerment. “We celebrate women in emergency services and create an inclusive environment for women to be their true selves. Women will grow their personal and professional networks through self-empowerment and mutual support.”
• Networking. “By providing unique opportunities for women to connect and learn from others, they will be able to create strong and supportive networks amongst peers to gain knowledge and advance their careers.”
• Mentorship. “Women will develop relationships to mentor and empower women in the emergency services industry. Women will feel confident to advocate for themselves and achieve excellence in their careers.”
• Education. “Create high-quality learning opportunities for women to build successful careers in the evolving emergency services industry. These educational opportunities will focus on professional development, self-advocacy, and technical expertise.”

Montoya—who had never been in EMS but has worked with associations for six years—says she job appealed to her because “we all really need to have some respect and appreciation for people who do work in emergency services. Recently, I had a family member who was in an awful accident and on life support. If they wouldn't have gotten to him quick enough and done what they needed to do to stabilize him, he wouldn't have made it. These people do amazing work that sometimes it's just not thought about. Being a female leader, supporting women and making sure women have the same ability to get great jobs and be in leadership positions is also very important to me. Those two paths connected well.”

Connections and Education

It remains difficult for women in male-dominated fields to “break that glass ceiling, advance in their careers and feel supported, not to mention the harassment and sexual assault—those things still very much exist,” says Montoya. “These organizations are really important to support women and also to have male advocates to help be resources just as well.”

The survey that led to the formation of WiES had asked women in what areas they sought support. Responses focused on mentorship, inspiration, networking, connection, personal development, empowerment, and technical or career-specific education. The four pillars, mission and vision developed from those responses.

In early 2023, WiES will develop a mentorship program to help women connect with each other and share best practices and knowledge both via virtual meetings and in-person networking opportunities. “We’re also going to create educational opportunities for professional development and for those more technical job-related functions,” Montoya says, adding the organization also looks to partner with larger associations, events and conferences, and host in-person networking receptions so the membership base, supporters and sponsors can connect.

“Coming out of the COVID age, I think networking is so important,” says Montoya. “People find networking is the way they best advance themselves in their careers and make connections.”

Montoya adds the survey results aligned with what she’d been hearing while networking with others in EMS and “were foundational and trended the way that we thought they would. Hearing women’s stories and then finding a way to help them is really what was exciting through this process.”

Long-overdue Initiative

Scott A. Moore, Esq., an employment lawyer/human resources consultant working with EMS and public safety organizations, is a certified EMT and has worked since 1990 in private and public safety-based EMS organizations.

Moore decided to become a WiES founding advisor because he recognized a lack of diversity in EMS field providers and leadership throughout his career.

“This is an organization and an initiative that is long overdue,” he notes. “It is a critical step in the evolution of EMS as a profession. For nearly 16 years, I worked for a Massachusetts fire department that I believe had the second female fire chief in the state’s history. Through her leadership, our department and profession have made significant strides in both the services we offer, but also in inclusiveness.”

EMS must take affirmative steps to promote women in the field and in leadership roles in particular, Moore adds. “EMS has historically been overrepresented by men. Our workforce and EMS agencies should more meaningfully represent the population we serve. This will allow us to better care for the communities and the patients who rely on our services.”

Another WiES founding advisor is Michelle Anderson, Lakes Region EMS director of administration in North Branch, MN, where she was hired as an EMT-B in 2008. She worked in the field for six years, transitioned into the education and community outreach manager position in 2015, and was promoted to her current position two and a half years later.

Anderson is passionate about helping women advance in all aspects of life. “When I was asked to be a (WiES) founding advisor, I excitedly accepted,” she says. “Who doesn’t want to help other women grow and flourish? Having gone through the journey myself, I found I needed support and connection with other leaders in EMS—male and female. A good balance is important in the workplace, as there is a vast wealth of knowledge in both areas.”

As she continued to grow in her leadership, Anderson found she needed to connect deeper with women, “knowing they can help me see my blind spots in a different light. Their guidance and mentorship were pivotal to my success in this role. Not all women are afforded these same opportunities in their career. That is why it is so important to connect women with women in this way. It creates a synergy that drives change and forward progression.”

Networking and Support

Anderson notes the networks of men and women dedicated to the advancement of women in EMS “are necessary for our growth both personally and professionally. The only way we are going to have outstanding female leaders into the future is to come alongside and create space for them to receive the support needed to grow and thrive.”

WiES plays an essential part not only in offering women the space to network, but also be mentored, mentor other women, and educate women seeking to advance in EMS in a way not previously available, explains Anderson.

Founding advisor Andrea S. Abbas, MS, NRP, IC, CP-C, owner and author of The EMS Professional—an education, training and consulting company—began her EMS career in 2000 as a licensed practicing paramedic with the intention of gaining experience as a clinician before applying to medical school.

“Once I became employed with an EMS agency, I became fascinated with the business model,” she notes. “I found myself asking curious questions around why we ran our EMS services the way we did. This led me into my first EMS leadership role and I never looked back. I continue to enjoy challenging EMS operational constructs and culture while advocating for EMS as a career for young professionals.”

Abbas says she is honored to serve as a WiES founding advisor.

“As a woman in EMS, having a network of strong supportive professionals early in my career would have been so valuable,” she says. “WiES is providing a platform to support and elevate the EMS profession. My hope is to create a strong sense of community side-by-side with our members while offering the tools and resources needed to thrive in our industry.”

Never Finished

Martha Peribonio is executive director of the National Association of Mobile Integrated Healthcare Providers, a nonprofit that brings together MIH providers nationwide.

“I am closely tied to EMS because so many of the clinicians in mobile integrated health care come from the EMS industry, mainly community paramedics,” says Peribonio. “When I heard about WiES and its pillars of empowerment, networking, mentorship, and education, I knew I had to become a part of this organization because these are things I am so passionate about and firmly believe in. I would not be where I am today without principles. My philosophy is that we have never ‘arrived’ or ‘finished’—we are all a work in progress and should always keep growing and advancing to the next level.”

That can only be accomplished through the WiES four pillars, Peribonio adds.

“I know that I have much to contribute to someone who may be in an earlier stage of their career and life than I am, but I also know that I still have much to continue learning from others who are further ahead than myself,” says Peribonio, adding that she believes WiES will be a game-changer for the EMS industry and related industries.

Those interested can join online at womeninemergencyservices.org at a $65 rate for individuals, $30 for students and $10 for retired EMS workers. The group is seeking to partner with associations, corporations, and government entities to drive its initiative for the industry and its organizations to find and retain much-needed female talent.

Carol Brzozowski is a freelance journalist and frequent contributor to EMS World.