When Melanie Keolanui applied to be a firefighter 16 years ago, she didn’t think it was a career for women. Not only was she offered a job after submitting her resume, but she has become the first woman promoted to fire captain in Hawaii County.
“Being a fireman was never a job I had thought of, but I was always interested in the medical field as well as athletics,” Keolanui told Ohana Times. “It was on a friend's recommendation that I applied and from there firefighting fell into my lap.”
Of the 370 firefighters in the Hawaii County Fire Department, only nine are women, about 2%, according to fire department data.
Capt. Mel Keolanui
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“There's a lot of pressure being the first woman fire captain because more people might take notice whereas if I was just another male, I might not stand out as much,” Keolanui said in an interview. “I want to do well but it is stressful because people are watching me. At the same time, I am treated fairly by my peers and other firefighters.”
Keolanui’s prior career as a paramedic gave her the leadership skills she needed to be a fire captain.
“I was a paramedic since 2007 and that helped because I was in charge of the ambulance, its crew, and patient care,” she said. “I was involved in decision-making all the time.”
The 41-year-old was also the first woman to be promoted to fire equipment operator in 2016.
“That’s the person in charge of the fire engine, the equipment, and tools on the truck,” she said. “It’s another leadership role. You have to be a fire equipment operator in order to have the qualifications to be fire captain.”
Being a woman helps Keolanui be more compassionate toward firefighters who witness trauma on the job, she said.
“I'm probably more nurturing because I have a son,” she said. “I’m not soft. I’m more of a strict mom.”
Keolanui’s favorite part of being a fire captain is mentoring new firefighters regardless of gender.
“I like being a resource for them, being supportive and helping them to gear up for whatever goals they have and I try to help them achieve those goals,” she said.
Keolanui is also a member of the critical incident stress management team.
“It’s something we've been trying to promote over the past few years of talking about things early instead of working 25 years then retiring with a weight on your back that you can't shake off because you haven't dealt with any of the incidents that come with our job,” she said.
One of Keolanui’s most memorable moments as a firefighter came during a fire prevention event at a local school.
“I had all of my gear on and when I took off my hood and helmet, a little girl who was about 5 or 6 years old looked up at me and was surprised to see that I was female,” she said. “As it becomes increasingly public that a woman's holding this position, being a firefighter is something more and more women can aspire to.”