Alex Betancourt is Brampton's first Black woman firefighter

February 26, 2024

Ryan Agard was among the first set of Black firefighters hired in Brampton in September 1995.

Little did he know it would take exactly 29 years to the day for the city to have its first Black woman firefighter.

Alex Betancourt made history last September 5 and is assigned to Agard’s station, 206, at 7880 Hurontario St.

Brampton’s only Black Fire Captain and Acting District Chief is elated to have her on his crew.

“She has got the right attitude and her focus is to do well in this role,” noted Agard. “At the same time, she recognizes who she is and the significance of the unique position she is in. So far, she is handling it perfectly and the crew likes her. She is doing it the right way and will have a great career with this Service.”

He said Brampton Fire Chief & Commissioner Bill Boyes is committed to diversifying the Service.

“He has an open-door policy, he listens and is responsive,” noted the Allied Firefighters of Canada President. “We are heading in the right direction.”

Boyes, who is pursuing a PhD that reflects a social justice lens, embraces diversity.

“Alex’s dedication and passion for service exemplify the best of our profession,” said the 2021 Canadian Fire Chief of the Year. “She enriches our department and she serves as a beacon of inspiration for young girls of colour and beyond, showing them that with determination and hard work, any dream is within reach.”

Jordan Stevens, a Markham Firefighter, introduced Betancourt to Agard.

“When I was told I was going to 206, I was so excited,” she pointed out.

Since 2017, Betancourt applied to fire services throughout Canada, the majority in Ontario.

“Anywhere my qualifications lined up, I applied,” she said. “I was willing to go anywhere I could get a job. I did the tests and moved forward in a couple of departments.”

In the same week last year, Betancourt attended her first interviews with the Welland and Brampton Fire Departments.

With job offers from both, she chose Brampton because of the city’s diversity and its proximity to family members and friends in the Greater Toronto Area.

Stevens also helped her make the decision.

“He told me he knew some of the people at Brampton and how great the organization is,” Betancourt, one of four women in her graduating class of 23, said. “He thought it would be a good fit for me. I want to serve in any community, but why not be in one that I could relate to.”

The 20-week recruit training that ended last January 11, included live fire at Canadian Forces Base Borden, auto extrication, water rescue and rapid intervention.

Betancourt said it was challenging at times.

“There were certain tests that I didn’t think I would power through, but the training staff support was terrific,” she said.

The recruit singled out Training Head Captain Mark Brewer.

“He told me I needed to be confident in myself,” Betancourt recalled. “Anytime it seemed I would not get over a hurdle, he gave me that fatherly look and I knew I had to find a way to do it. I am grateful for his support and I have expressed that to him several times. He and the rest of the training staff reminded me I am here for a reason and that is because of all the work I put in.”

Alex Betancourt first shift on a firetruck was on Martin Luther King Jr. birthday (Photo by Ron Fanfair)

Her first shift on a firetruck was on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, January 15.

Since then, Betancourt has attended a car and garbage fire.

“I have had a couple of carbon monoxide calls and done CPR in a few instances where vital signs were absent,” she said. “That has been it so far.”

Betancourt’s hiring evoked a high degree of pleasure and satisfaction for City of Brampton Fire/Life Safety Education Officer Michelle John.

“Alex is an inspiration for other young Black females to envision themselves in this role,” she said. “Representation matters.”

Hanging around her Venezuelan-born father who is a master plumber, Betancourt enjoyed working with her hands in her pre-teen years.

“I always knew I was going to do something that is related to the trades,” she said. “I thought it was going to be in carpentry or engineering, but as I grew older, I looked at other ways in which I could use my hands and make an impact.”

Neurosurgery and veterinary science were among her considerations until a Grade 12 classmate at Pickering High School announced he was going to pursue firefighting.

“When I asked him why, he said his dad is a firefighter and then proceeded to tell me his dad said it is a great job,” Betancourt recounted. “I gave it some thought for a while then left it there.”

After a year at Carleton University, she left.

“I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do and that year was not fun,” said Betancourt whose mom is a Jamaican immigrant. “I took some time off and looked closely into a firefighting career. I consulted some people whose opinions I trust and they said I would be good at it.”

In 2017, she completed Seneca College’s Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office-accredited 12-month certificate program that prepares individuals for a firefighting or rescue specialist career.

It provides fire ground operations, fire suppression, emergency medical responder and fire investigation training along with hands-on experiential learning in fire apparatus operation, technical rescue and hazardous materials.

“I met a lot of great teachers who were firefighters and made some awesome connections,” said Betancourt who enjoys hiking, camping and rowing. “I gained a lot of valuable preparation for the role I am now in.”

Fire Services are still dominated by White men.

In a Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs report issued in 2020, just over four percent of women were volunteer or career firefighters.

With not many Black women in the profession in Canada, Betancourt knew the odds were stacked against her.

That did not matter.

“Am I going to get there was not something I entertained,” she said. “I have amazing people in my life who always remind me that nothing should prevent me from doing something I want to do. I was not allowed to doubt myself. Also, I did a lot of trade jobs where I was the only person of colour on the site. That made me comfortable working in an environment with people who don’t look like me. That prepared me for what could come in this job.”

The middle of three siblings, Betancourt went the extra mile to get where she wanted.

Stevens runs the First Response Training Institute (FRTI) for aspiring firefighters.

To be eligible, candidates are required to complete the Standard Fire Fighters Professional Qualification, the Hazmat Materials Awareness & Operations, the Emergency Medical Response Training and Fire Apparatus Driver Training programs.

Betancourt graduated from the FRTI that helps applicants prepare resumes and cover letters and provides tips for the interview process.

“Jordan has an amazing program that provides a lot of support,” she said. “I recommended it to a friend who was just hired by the Mississauga Fire Department. I was confident that I had done enough to be a firefighter. But having him in my corner providing prep work helped a great deal when I got to the interview process.”

Stevens said Betancourt was dialled in from the start.

“She has great communication skills, she is poised and very confident and she has a lot of good experiences, having done jobs that relate to firefighting,” said the product of Panamanian and Jamaican immigrants.”

Betancourt’s hiring is a beacon of hope for young Black girls considering a career in the field.

“We will not always see ourselves in spaces we want to be, so it is up to us to put ourselves there,” she said. “Young girls have already reached out to me asking for some tips about what they need to do to get where I am. The journey is not easy, but I tell them to surround themselves with people who want them to succeed and not be afraid of pursuing their dreams.”