Nationwide — Brittney Baker, who was born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota, has made history as the first African American woman to achieve the rank of captain in the St. Paul Fire Department, marking a significant milestone in the department since 1855.
“It wasn’t necessarily to be the first that was so big for me, it was like, ‘OK, I accomplished the goal that I had,'” Baker told KARE11.
Baker originally aspired to be a pediatric oncologist after her sister’s battle with cancer. However, her journey took a different turn after attending the EMS academy. Since 2012, she’s been part of the EMS academy, where she now teaches.
Stepping into the spotlight as the first Black female captain, Baker acknowledges the unfamiliarity but understands the impact she can have as a role model.
“People tell me, like, I wanted to do this, I wanted to be a firefighter, I wanted to be a paramedic, and I didn’t know I could do it,” she said. “I didn’t think I could do it until I saw you walk across the stage at your fire graduation, or when I saw you getting out of the ambulance and coming to help my family.”
Recognizing her responsibility to inspire others, Baker added, “Just remembering that I’m not doing it for me, I’m doing it for everybody else that doesn’t think that they can do it.”