The BC Achievment Foundation has presented its Community Award to a Campbell Riverite on May 7.
Debra Rogers, an acting captain and fire investigator with the Campbell River Department, earned the award due to her work as the project manager of Fire Service Women BC and the Island Ignite Mentorship Society. The award was presented in Victoria in the presence of Wendy Cocchia, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia.
"I am overwhelmed, humbled, and intensely grateful. This award means the world to me, and I am honoured to sit beside so many incredible community champions doing great work in our province. It means a great deal to the success of Island Ignite Mentorship Society, by drawing attention to the program," said Rogers.
Fire Service Women BC advocates for gender equity, provides women employed in fire services with resources and networking services, and oversees applications for Women and Gender Equality grants.
"Through her leadership, she has created avenues for women to enter the field while ensuring they have the support needed to thrive in their careers," reads a press release from the BC Achievement Foundation. "Debra's dedication has impacted the fire service, fostering a more inclusive and supportive environment for women in British Columbia."
Rogers began her service with the Campbell River Fire Department in 2009 as a dispatcher. Rogers said she wanted to work in an industry that allowed her to do meaningful community service work, and felt the dispatcher role aligned with that.
Rogers transitioned to being a firefighter in 2017 at the age of 47.
"After working in the environment for some time, I wanted to serve in a more dynamic, physically challenging, and rewarding role. Dispatchers serve an essential role, and I have a deep respect for all emergency dispatchers. I wanted to do more and challenge myself to strive for a more advanced role within my department," Rogers said.
Her biggest challenges, Rogers says, were her self-doubt in her skills, knowledge and abilities.
"I felt I had to be better and prove my worth repeatedly."
She was the first woman to become a professional in the CRFD's suppression division.
"As the first female firefighter in the Campbell River Fire Department, I faced cultural challenges. Having taken a non-traditional path into my fire suppression role, I had to show up with everything I had to try to earn respect from my coworkers."
Rogers is also a key figure in Camp Ignite's youth camps, where she has helped provide hands-on training, mentorship and exposure to girls hoping for a career in firefighting. She became involved in the camp in 2018 to investigate the programming and bring a similar program to Vancouver Island, hoping it would promote more opportunities for youth on the Island (and the Gulf Island and Sunshine Coast).
She launched Island Ignite in 2022 and has since hosted two successful regional camps, and will host a third one in July.
Working on completing her fire officer 4 certification and a nonprofit management certificate with Simon Fraser University, Rogers is working on Island Ignite's 2025 and helping plan the FSWBC Symposium in 2025. Rogers is also working through the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs ECFO Aspire program.
"This program has been crucial in breaking down barriers and offering pathways for young women to pursue careers in this traditionally male-dominated field," says the press release. "This experience led to her role as the founding President of the Island Ignite Mentorship Society, which extends similar opportunities on Vancouver Island—further engaging, encouraging, and empowering young women through firefighting within a safe and supportive community."
