Mountain View Fire's First All-Female Crew Shares Historic Photo

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA -- Three Mountain View firefighters made national headlines after they posted a historic photo on the department's Twitter feed earlier this month. Capt. Paramedic Jenna Graham, front driver Fire Engineer EMT Patty Juergens and rear tiller Driver Firefighter Paramedic Alison Costello rounded out the department's first all female crew manning a 100-foot tiller truck, which is the largest apparatus in the department's fleet.

The photo garnered nationwide attention, prompting news stories and thousands of reactions on social media after it was posted March 1.

Graham, 44, and Juergens, 58, started with the department 19 years ago. Costello came around four years later.

Their bonds are strong -- just like their spirit and desire to do well on the job.

To the three women making history, it doesn't make any difference than if the crew were of a mixed gender.

"These are some awesome people. When a call comes in, and we get in the rig, it's all about doing our jobs," Graham told Patch. She answered with a resounding "no" to whether their duties would be different if men were in the trio.

They still are expected to perform. Sure, they realize men have more upper body strength and are "generally bigger," Costello pointed out. Still, women excel at "talking through things," she added.

Certainly, the job is challenging.

"Everybody has their strengths. We know we have to lift with our legs and do have to stand on things and carry and hold weight more than our own, but women are very driven in our work ethic," she explained.