The International Association of Women in Fire and Emergency Services (i-Women) is saying farewell to a past and well respected President, Laura Baker. She began with the Tucson Fire Department in 1994. Baker was promoted through the ranks of firefighter, paramedic, and Captain to Deputy Chief in the Tucson Fire Department throughout her career.
In late January 2015, Baker received her assistant chief badge from the Tucson Fire Department. This is the highest rank that a woman has held in Tucson Fire Department’s history.
“I’m very humbled by being the first woman assistant chief for Tucson fire,” Baker said to the Arizona Star. “I have a tendency to downplay the gender side because it shouldn’t matter, but the reality is that the significance of me being a woman in a leadership role is very important.”
We look back through the past few years — a journey in which Laura Baker began as a trustee and ended boldly with a successful International conference in her own city of Tucson, Arizona in 2014.
The achievements of Chief Bakers tenure as i-Women President will resonate for years with the creation of cooperative partnerships with IAFC state/regional organizations, such as Virginia, California, and Volunteer & Combination Officers Section, the departmental membership packages, the renovation of the i-Women website and the recently released “Sexual Assault” video.
Her dedication to the mission of i-Women as proactive network that supports, mentors, and educates current and future women in the fire and emergency services was at the forefront of her involvement in the organization.
Chief Baker is an excellent leader who embodies the values of the fire service. i-Women wishes her continued success.
