Female firefighters make history
Dina Jones, Dana Bokobza are first Israeli women to be accepted to Fire Services' commanders' course
History in the making – Dina Jones and Dana Bokobza are the first female firefighters to be accepted into a commander course in Israel's Fire Services.
Both women already have practical experience, courageously running into treacherous fires numerous times to save lives. During the commander course, which is two months long, Dina and Dana will train to become team commanders and be the first to be called to the scene of a fire.
Jones, from Ma'ale Adumim, has been working as a firefighter at the Judea and Samaria fire station for the past seven years. Asked whether she is honored to be the first woman to make it to the commanders' course, Jones replied: "I am no different than any of my colleagues."
Chairman of the Israeli Professional Firefighters' Organization Yoav Gadasi lauded Jones' accomplishment, saying: "Dina is an amazing firefighter, with a lot of courage and ability to act under pressure. There aren't many like her, even among her male colleagues. She will be a successful commander at the end of the course."
Bokobza, from Ashkelon, is a mother of three and has served in the city's fire station for eight years. Bokobza already made history when she and her friend were the first women in Israel to be recruited as firefighters.
"I'm already used to people looking at me in astonishment. But I'm the proof that everything's possible. I love my job, and for me to break through the flames is an instinct. I don't even think about the dangers involved."
Bokobza had all three of her children during her eight years of service: "I never asked for any benefits or special treatment. The job requires me to make many concessions at home. But thanks to my supportive husband and family, we manage to work it out," she said.
