Facilitated by Monique Belair, Michelle Fitzsimmons, jona olsson, Debbie Higgins and Louise Hine-Schmidt
Chief Monique Belair is a Fire Service Leader with 30+ years of knowledge and experience and has always been committed to facilitating and educating young women about the opportunities a career with the fire service. Monique currently serves Director of Emergency Services and Fire Chief for Belleville Fire and Emergency Services. Chief Belair began her career as a Crash Rescue/Structural Firefighter with the Canadian Armed Forces in 1986 and was one of five females serving on military bases throughout Canada. She continued her career progression working in every role of the Fire Service; Communications, Prevention, Education, Investigations and Office of the Fire Marshal where she was able to obtain insight on fire service cultures from the farthest northern rural communities to large urban city centres. As a strong advocate of women in the fire service she continuously seek out opportunities that will afford her the opportunity to engage with and mentor the youth of her community. In 2019, along with other Fire Service Leaders they were able to launch Inaugural Camp Molly Halton. Similar to other programs, the mission of Camp Molly is to support, educate, and empower young women in the Halton Region about all the opportunities a career in fire services holds for them. In June of 2019, she was selected as Biosteel’s Women of Inspiration for her work with Camp Molly and female youths. Serving as a Director with FSWO, Monique’s objective will be to provide an immediate contribution to the enhancement of the corporation’s mission statement to encourage, promote, and advance women in the fire service
Debbie Higgins is a Deputy Fire Chief with Toronto Fire Services, with the portfolio of Administrative and Mechanical Services. In this capacity, she is responsible for finance and budgeting processes, labour relations, quartermaster, facilities, the TFS medical office, and providing professional support for the procurement and maintenance of both apparatus and equipment. Debbie previously held the portfolios of Fire Prevention and Public Education, and more recently Professional Development and Training, including Special Operations (HUSAR and CBRNE). Prior to her promotion to Deputy in 2010, Debbie spent eleven years as an Executive Officer for Toronto Fire, working in the Office of the Fire Chief. She also previously worked with the City of Mississauga as a Business Planner, where her work included various strategic projects for the Community Services department, including fire. Before joining the municipal sector, Debbie spent five years working as a consultant undertaking social planning studies, including feasibility studies, master plans, emergency response plans, marketing plans and organizational reviews.
Debbie has a degree in Applied Geography from Ryerson University, and a certificate in Business from McMaster University. She is currently an Associate Director with the World Police and Fire Games Federation, and previously served three terms on the Board of Directors of the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs.
Louise is the Division Chief of Safety with Ottawa Fire Services and is one of the first of three women firefighters hired in 1999 in the City of Ottawa. She is trained as a technician in Rope Rescue, Confined Space, Elevator Rescue, and Extrication. She was the editor of the OFS Rope Rescue Manual and currently sits on the IAFF Local 162 Human Relations and Accommodations Committee.
Louise is one of the three founding members of FSWO who also helped to establish Camp FFIT(Female Firefighters In Training) which has served as a model for other fire services from across Canada. Louise is honoured to have served as the first President of FSWO from 2009-2011 and then again from 2015-2019.
Louise is an accomplished national athlete who represented Canada at the Pan Am Games in 1987 winning two silver medals in sprint kayaking. She is married to Brent for 30 years and they have a daughter who is on the Canadian National sprint kayak team and a son who is an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer.
Louise has an honours BPhEd (University of Ottawa), an Executive Diploma in Municipal Management (Western Ontario/Seneca College) and a Certification in Dispute Resolution, (York University).
With a membership that grew from 3 to over 450, Louise is incredibly proud of the impact FSWO has had in improving diversity and inclusivity in Canada’s fire service. Louise’s 12 years as a member of the Board Executive helps to provide the organization with the experience and leadership needed to contribute to the overall success of FSWO.
jona olsson is the director of cultural bridges to justice, offering cultural diversity programs for non-profit groups. She is the Fire & EMS Chief of the Latir Volunteer Fire Department in northern New Mexico, having served as Chief for 16 years. Joining her two passions – emergency service and social justice – jona offers programs to individual departments, brigades, and fire conferences in the U. S., the UK, Canada and Australia. jona lives in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in northern New Mexico, with her wife, Jane, and several rescued, 4-footed friends, Tumbleweed the 21 year old cat and Bader, the 6 month old puppy.
Battalion Chief Michele Fitzsimmons is a 20 year veteran of the FDNY. She joined the department in May of 2001. In May of 2020 she was promoted to Battalion Chief making her the highest-ranking female in FDNY’s Fire Operations. She is currently assigned to Division 14 which covers North Queens. During her career she has been an instructor at the Fire Academy, a member of the Family Assistance Unit, a Peer Fitness Firefighter Trainer and a part of the FDNY’s Mental Performance Initiative.
Michele is a graduate of The FDNY Officer’s Management Institute. She has lectured at Wharton Business School and UPenn’s Graduate Program. She was a guest on Leadership Under Fire’s Optimizing Human Performance Podcast. She has instructed classes at Fire Service Women of Ontario and Fire Service Women of NYS’s annual conferences.
Michele is currently the President of FireFLAG/EMS, the FDNY’s affiliated organization for LGBTQ members. This is her second term as President having previously held the position in 2002 and 2003. In 2007 she cofounded Phoenix Firecamp, a weeklong sleep away camp that introduces girls ages 14-19 to opportunities in the Fire Service through classroom and hands on training hosted by The Utica Fire Department. In 2009 Michele became a stem cell donor through The NY Blood Center Bone Marrow and Stem Cell donor program.