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Charlotte agencies hoping to recruit more female first responders

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte agencies say they need more women to be first responders and on Saturday a first of its kind open house was held to recruit women for positions, including police officers and firefighters.

One police captain told Channel 9 that the men to women ratio is 12-1 in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

Women make up more than half the population in Charlotte, and they want CMPD, and other agencies throughout the city to reflect the people they serve.

On Saturday, first responders from agencies like MEDIC, CFD and CMPD all came together with one goal in mind -- recruiting more women.

Officials said it was a chance for women to ask the tough questions about the job, the hours or quality of life.

“That's a big reason why I came out here today, said Cheyenne Green.

“There's so much I had no idea about, and I didn't realize that I didn't know so much,” Elizabeth Hall told Channel 9.

Currently, most of the fields are predominately filled by men, like at MEDIC, where women make up 34 percent of the staff.

The Charlotte Fire Department has more than 1,100 staff members, but the number of women employed is just 7 percent.

Recruiters told Channel 9 that one challenge is finding women who believe they're qualified. Many think they are not, so they just cancel themselves out before they even look into it and do the research.

But it's not just about the numbers. Officials also pointed to the unique value of hiring more women.

“We tend to approach, especially in law enforcement and first responder-type careers, with a communicative approach, a calming approach,” said Officer Mahroo Grant, a CMPD recruiter. “And that’s how we're able to de-escalate a lot of situations. Now more than ever, we need that.”

Organizers first planned to roll out the event last year, but had to cancel because of snow. The plan moving forward is to offer this event every year.