Capt. Karen Bureker didn’t know whether she wanted to have children when she first became a firefighter paramedic nearly 20 years ago.
But after getting married, Bureker and her husband decided to start a family. It was during her first pregnancy, after six years on the job, that Bureker realized just how difficult the transition from firefighter to mother would be while rising through the ranks of her male-dominated profession.
“It's really a great job to be a mom, but it's a really hard job,” she said. “My kids, as they get older, are starting to understand some of the risks that we take. But they love having their mom be a firefighter.”
Bureker, 44, is part of a rare sorority. Earlier this month, she became the first female fire captain at Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue, where she started her career some 19 years ago. Back then, just six women worked as firefighters in the department, she said.
“We were definitely new to the fire scene,” she added. “The world has changed a lot since then, and our jobs have changed a lot. We've had a lot of men with a lot of interest in pushes that have helped move us into a more inclusive and diverse fire service.”
Read more from NBC News about the vanguard of female firefighters, paramedics and elected officials pushing to make the profession more diverse.
