Both Fire Chief Deedra Burton and firefighter Lavonda Aldrich say women’s presence in the workforce can be helpful in and out of the fire-response field. They have each come to learn that women who are domestic-violence victims often feel more comfortable sharing sensitive details of abuse they’ve suffered at the hands of a loved one with another woman. They also attest that a woman firefighter can better assist little girls who tend to look for nurturing, motherly figures in trying times.