Firefighter Rosanne Grier Discusses New Show on Oprah Network

“Lives on Fire” is a new television series featuring four women of CAL FIRE, one of the nation’s largest emergency response teams, premiering this Friday.

The show documents the action they as they respond to all manner of fire and rescue operations, as well as the inside stories on how they meet the challenges of working in a male-dominated field, and how they make the lifestyle work as mothers, wives, girlfriends and daughters.

The show follows four women, including Rosanne Grier, who is in her sixth year as a seasonal firefighter working to become permanent.

Rosanne Grier
CAL FIRE/San Diego Unit
Lyons Valley Fire Station

Grier credits local volunteers for welcoming her into the fire service and starting her on her path. After she first met some volunteer firefighters at a local Christmas party, she asked how to apply, and “They told me I could come over the next day, and it was off to the races,” she said.

She went through training and volunteered, and “In my heart I knew it was what I wanted to do,” she said. She pursued fire academy training and got hired as a seasonal firefighter.

Grier says her message is that people who are unhappy in their jobs don’t have to settle.

“You can have a job that you love if you work hard for it,” she said. “I want to inspire people to realize that you don’t have to have limitations unless you set them yourself.”

Grier encourages people not to give up, and leads by example as she continues to work toward her goal of a permanent position.

“Reaching the goals you hope to reach in life doesn’t always happen in a timely manner,” she said. “I haven’t been promoted yet and it’s hard competing with so many people for one job… but you have to focus on having a great career, not on what you don’t have yet.”

"Lives on Fire" premieres Friday, June 8 at 9/8c on the Oprah Winfrey Network. For further details, visit the "Lives on Fire" page.