CG= conner store Gordy TG= teenage girl OH= Owen Horton PS= boss chief at the academy CL= captain Lennon

Stella's POV: it's been a couple weeks since I was an that diet with the chief which I would never do again and it also been a couple weeks since Casey and Kelly got into a argument over a call right now everything everything is good at home and at work. I am driving myself to work this morning because kelly had to do stuff at the firehouse. So on my way into work I decide to stop by the corner store and grab me a soda and maybe a snack

CG= I saw you act like you were gonna skip that candy bar
S= Gordy you're not suppose to notice my purchases that's uh clerk-customer confidentially
CG= your secret is safe with me 3:49
S= Here you are keep the change
CG= bye

As I go back to my car I notice two young girls talking to someone in a car and pass something so as they walk away from the car I speak up

S= hey what are y'all doing

TG= you say something
S= yeah how old are you
TG= no one trying to talk to you
S= well aren't you supposed to be in school instead of out here on a corner slinging god knows what ( they walked away) hey I'm talking to you

I finally just give up talking to them and head to work before I am late to work when I get to work I met up with kelly in the locker room and as we walk to the buffering room I start telling him about the girls I saw

S= you should've seen them they couldn't have been more than 14,15 years old and they just scattered right as soon as I approach them
K= probably thought you were a cop
S= well it's just sad you know and what am I doing about it nothing I always say that I want to be more involved in the community and then another week goes by and what have I done
( I sit down and Kelly kiss my head)

Boden starts the morning meeting but about halfway through we get a call once we get back from the call I start making lunch for everyone when Ritter and gallo come into the kitchen discuss something

CR= dude No no don't give me that okay we were the last group who had to raise the 50 foot Bangor ladder in under two minute time limit
BG= but the instructors flat out told our class we had the highest scores and best time they'd seen in like a decade
CR= they say that to everyone
S= what are you two on about
BG= we're comparing academy classes
CR= they started making it way easier after I cam through
BG= I'm like six months behind you
CR= oh did your class even go in the smoke box
BG= dude don't
S= mm question for both of you what percentage of each class was women
V= not enough
BG= hey what brings you by
V= we had a call up Racine were low on chem strips so Jody is raiding 61 supply cabinet
BG= and you stopped in to say hi that is
V= came by to raid your fridge
BG= ah
V= but seriously we had like three women in our entire class ( an idea just popped into my head
S= you know what I just I just thought of something Um can you both finish mainframe sandwich
CR= uh-uh of course

( in the chief office)

S= chief you got a second
CB= more than that what's on your mind
S= okay so I just had some inspiration the short version is I gotta do more for young women out there whatever it happening in the " women movement" it is not happening on streets like Marquette or west Garfield or south Ashland so what if I set up a program where o recruit young women from Chicago public schools to be junior firefighters
CB= sounds good though I will say as well anything of this nature at the CFD you're gonna need an abundance of two things
S= okay
CB= patience and persistence
S= I got both those ( chief gives Stella a look) I mean I can when I need to
CB= okay what you're gonna want to do is call Owen Horton in community relation at head quarters and feel free to tell him that you have my full support
S= thank you chief
CB= it's a terrific idea truly

I leave the chief's office and go and call thus person but I got his assistant so once I leave a message I go do my chore for the day which is cleaning out the fridge as I walk into the kitchen I see that Kelly is there

S= hey you
K= hey what you up to
S= well I am on cleaning out the fridge today but remember earlier I said something about trying to help out my community
K= oh yea
S= well I finally came up with an idea to help young girls
K= you did what is it
S= well my plan is instead of having girls do that thing on the street is have them do something to help people. So I want to create a program for young girls to be junior firefighter
K= wow that's a amazing idea
S= thanks
K= no problem so would you like some help to clean out that fridge
S= not really but if your offering then sure thing
K= all right let's get cleaning

We start cleaning out the fridge

S= expired
K= yeah
S= way expired
OH= I was told I could find Stella Kidd in here
S= yes you can and yes you did
OH= Owen Horton CFD community outreach department
S= oh um hi
OH= I got your message I was running back from manny's though I'd stop by and get the low down
S= well firstly thank you for responding so quickly okay so like I said on the message I'm calling it girls on fire what I'm thinking is high school girls young women can see that there is a career for them in the fire service so we have them run drills, spread hoses climb ladders ride in the trucks and hear from women who are in the trenches everyday at the CFD you know let these teenage girls feel empowered
OH= what you're gonna want to do is write me up a formal proposal you'll find the guidelines on the CFD server get a female officer to cosponsor with you and email it to me when your done ( cell phone rings and he answers it) Donna Yeah I had a quick stop I'll be there in a five minutes okay thanks
S= um a female officer
OH= all outreach programs require an officer's full commitment his or her presence at all meetings and events I think they only way this one files is if's female lead
S= right ( he walks away ) exactly ( turns around to kelly)
K= I think he's into it
S= I have to go print up a list of female officers

So I go and do that and look up how to write a proposal while I am at it. It's the end of shift I think o decide on the female officer I want to cosponsor my idea so me and Kelly are walking to our cars

S= I'll be home later I gotta stop by the academy and meet with thud lady chief
K= all right I'll see you later
S= all right ( they kiss)
I drive to the academy and find the lady chief I want to talk to and I start telling her my idea
PS= absolutely I hear you it's it sound like a great program
S= so you'll cosponsor with me
PS= I wish I could stella but I don't put my name on anything unless I can give it my full attention in addition to running a battalion I use my days off to support the 100 club
S= oh yea I knew that you said that before
PS= look I'd love to help you
CL= help you with what
S= oh um it's
PS= actually still I need an officer to cosponsor her girls Um
S= girls on fire
PS= girls on fire program
CL= sounds interesting
S= it is it is
CL= tell you what I've got my breakfast free why don't we discuss it over coffee and pancakes
S= okay.

I never though of capital Lennon to help me but if she is my option to get this program up and running I will do it. So we head off to local café order are food and I start telling her my idea

S= and so what I want to show them really show them is how responsibility goes both way you know and when those bells go off you have to be fearless and professional and ready. The skills that they learn they can carry it over into Schools,their families , their communities whether they become firefighters or not girls can be heroes and they need to know that anyways that's it that's what I want to do okay yeah yeah there you go So what do you think I mean girls on fire right
CL= not Interesting you're a schemer I don't work with schemers (she walks away)

I am on shocked so she just used me to buy her some breakfast great now what am I going to do. So I go home and the next day on shift I tell kelly what happened

S= and so that exhausts my list of women officers I know the list could've fit on a post it note anyway and you know I don't .. I don't want to cosponsor girls on fire without someone who's dependable, enthusiastic, smart
K= I know a woman officer who's all those things
S= really who
K= Wendy Seager
S= ( laughs) the women who threw vibes at you right in front of me
K= I'll text you her number

I can't believe he said her name but I want this program to get started so once he sent his number I called her lucky I got her voicemail so o left her a message and waited on her to call back . A couple hours later kelly got a text message that she is going to be stop in a few minutes so he goes outside to wait for her and I wait until they come inside

K= Stella Lieutenant Seager is looking for thy
S= thanks for coming by
WS= happy to and it's Wendy
S= Wendy yeah
WS= I got your message and I'm intrigued
K= I'm just gonna
( he walks away)
WS= severide's great but you know that
S= I do I do so the reason I reached out I have a program I'm looking to start that'll benefit young women and I need a female officer to cosponsor I'm calling it girls on fire and the idea us I reach out to public schools girls and show them what a career in the fire service is all about it's hands on direct, smalls groups
WS= say no more
S= oh
WS= I'm in
S= you are
WS= are you kidding my classmates at south shore used to make fun of me when I said I wanted to be a firefighter
S= yeah
WS= you're a girl you can't lift a bag of feathers it'll never work. I heard it all so young women need to see real role models at the CFD know this is a career choice not just a dream for boys
S= exactly
WS= this program seems badass whatever you need sign me up

We spend the next hour discuss the program and writing up a proposal and then we email it to captain Horton. I hope I can get along with her and she doesn't ask about kelly that much because I really want this program to work so I can do something for my community.