By RON FANFAIR
Ryan Agard was among the first set of Black firefighters hired in Brampton in September
1995. Little did he know then that 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,” said 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 and Commissioner Bill Boyes is committed to diversifying
the Service.
“He has an open-door policy, he listens and is responsive,” said 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 said.
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,”
said Betancourt, one of four women in her graduating class of 23. “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.”
Her first day 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 to 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. “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 per cent of women were volunteer or career
firefighters.
With only a few Black women in the profession in Canada, Betancourt knew the odds were
stacked against her. But 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 greatly when I got to the interview process.”
Stevens said Betancourt was dialed 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 son 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.”
