Chief Ninetta Violante serves as one of three fire chiefs in the city of Decatur. The department is the only one of its kind in the world because it has an all-female staff.
Violante enjoys her job because she gets to work alongside other female leaders and they are African American women. She also has a Masters in Public Health. They unite strongly each day to get the job done for the city of Decatur. Although she never saw mention of being a firefighter as a kid, she knew she wanted to help other people so she prepped for that job helping others by playing soccer as a kid. She also enlisted in the Marine Corps and completed the Officers Training School.
As a female in a male-dominant field, the chief says it's a challenge at times because the men don't want them there and feel that the women are there to take their jobs. The chief also said that it is a good idea to have a support group of women and friends that you can talk to when things get hard. As a mother and female she feels that she never takes a break and finds it hard to juggle the roles at home and at the station. The chief values good people with good character as well as hard work and would motivate others to do the same.
Listen to the conversation below.