Pike moved from Alberta to southern Ontario for school and never returned. She describes herself as a ‘classic Sagittarius,’ who has lived in many places, is enthusiastic and has many interests including art and activism. She arrived at firefighting in her mid-thirties after being introduced to the field by her personal trainer’s wife who is a firefighter and mentored her. The importance of women’s mentorship stuck with her as Pike currently serves as the president of Fire Service Women Ontario (FSWO), a member-driven organization dedicated to encouraging, promoting and advancing women in the fire service.

Pike always looks forward to her work with FSWO, which has continued throughout the pandemic. Due to the dispersed nature of the membership, the women are used to meeting virtually. Pike likens their virtual meetings to meeting around a kitchen table, as an iconic place where people gather, “it’s where we joke, tell stories and talk about the job….[it’s where] I get what my male comrades have most days at work.”

Pike describes Station 17 as her home, which is a residential work environment, “we really move in for the day.” The station is divided into crews of four firefighters per truck who work very closely together for 24 hour-long shifts. “These people are like my family,” she reflects “from my perspective they really are my brothers.” As a firefighter, there’s no such thing as a typical shift and every day can be different. While it’s well known that a firefighter’s work duties involve fighting fires, Pike’s work is diverse and involves the rope and rescue team, responding to medical emergencies, community education and outreach work and much more. At the same time, firefighters must be ready to be called at any moment. Sometimes a call can last twenty minutes, others can last several hours. “You always have to be in a state of readiness.”

COVID has restricted many aspects of work, including community outreach and education as well as training with other crews. Now, unless there’s an emergency, firefighters remain in the station as much as possible. Station 17 shares the building with paramedics and firefighters who used to go on medical calls often. Now to reduce exposure they only attend medical calls that are dire. While firefighters are very used to wearing masks (they have four different masks for different purposes), the added layer of personal protective equipment (PPE) creates a new barrier to communication, especially on medical calls. “I feel less connected to our patients.”

Pike has noticed the negative impact of social isolation on people’s health noting an increase in overdoses and suicide calls. “Everything is so emotionally heightened during the pandemic and so suffering seems worse somehow, and it’s hard to see that.” Pike observes that firefighters have an incredible skill of enduring hardships, “I’m very grateful to have developed that skill at work,” she hopefully reminds other workers also facing hardships at work that, “It will change and it will pass.” When reflecting on the nature of being a frontline worker Pike says, “people often praise us [firefighters] as frontline workers and the pandemic has made me realize that that is nothing unique. There are so many workers that are essential and they were invisible before the pandemic.” In solidarity with other workers also working the frontlines, often invisibly, Pike says, “we’re endlessly creative and resilient, it’s pretty amazing.”

Pike’s story is connected to a multi-year project called Where There Is Smoke produced by Red Dress Productions and presented in partnership with Fire Service Women Ontario and WAHC. Read about the project on Red Dress Productions’ website.