Meet the Female Firefighter Who Fought to Become Her Own Hero

Bella Breakdown

The word hero comes in the form of many shapes and sizes depending on whom you ask. However, when the name Regina Wilson comes to mind, you’re immediately going to think of the words America’s hero from here on out. With that being said, Bella’s we would like you to meet Regina Wilson, a FDNY firefighter and the first female president of the 75-year-old Vulcan Society who has overcome all odds.

So, get ready to be inspired as we give you a sneak peak at Regina’s life:

Growing up in Brooklyn, New York, to a single African American mother who was addicted to drugs, Regina was forced out to live with her grandmother in a different state at the age of only sixteen.

Little did she know that living with her grandmother gave her a sense of comfort, self-worth, and acceptance Regina never had before. Being an African American and a woman in New York City was one of the hardest things Regina had to face especially with everyone around her besides her grandmother telling her she’s just a girl and can’t make a difference or do a job a man should be doing and that infuriated her giving her a sense of drive to get out in the world and make a difference.

And so, Regina did just that. Within the next few days Regina found herself at a black expo in the heart of New York where a man approached her from FDNY who found more hope in her then she did in herself. He went on to ask her to join the force. Regina gave it much thought and soon after decided to endure the long journey where nearly no women let alone African American women was accepted and you better believe she is glad she did it.

Now a member of the NYFD, Regina has a story to tell and a life to fulfill as an African American women. And to give you an idea of just how strong Regina is she will be glad to tell you there are only 50 women, and 14 African American women on an FDNY force of over 10,700. For the past sixteen years, Regina has been the only female firefighter at engine 219 and is the second woman to be assigned to the station in its 135-year history.

So, with that being said, Regina has then went on to become president of Vulcan Society which is a fraternal organization of African-American firefighters that campaigns tirelessly for racial diversity in the FDNY. In 2015, she was elected the first-ever female president in the Vulcan Society’s 75-year history. Now how’s that for a hero! Not even mentioning she was a first responder to 9/11 and once of the biggest influential females in the community to date!

So, the next time someone tells you that your just a girl or you can’t do something, go ahead and prove them wrong just like Regina did. You can also make a difference.