Interest soars in San Jose female firefighter boot camp

Signing up for the San Jose Fire Department Women’s Boot Camp was one of the hottest tickets in town, filling up shortly after the Saturday event opened.

Capt. Corey Condren launched the program in 2018 in an effort to increase the number of women in the SJFD. Her efforts have paid off, growing from 50 participants in the inaugural year to more than 120 this year. The increase in interest also encouraged organizers to lower the minimum age requirement from 18 to 16.

“We’ve seen numbers grow across the Bay because of this event,” Condren told San José Spotlight. “They build relationships and they’re able to meet people that could potentially mentor them in the future. It’s just giving them a platform to make that connection.”

Department leadership has pointed to broader efforts to increase the number of women firefighters, as the program exists alongside ongoing conversations about low representation within the department.

In 2020, despite being the largest fire department in the region, SJFD had the lowest number of female firefighters due to a hostile work environment, according to a Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury report. Condren, among others, set out to change the culture.

The  report on the lack of female firefighters offered recommendations for how the male-dominated profession could better reflect the county’s demographics by hiring more women.

Some of these recommendations included a new Firefighter (non-engineer) classification to be applied to all recruitments, lowering the recruitment age from 21 to 18, the removal of the Firefighter 1 certificate prerequisite and reducing the probationary period from 18 months to 12 months.

The report surveyed nearly 1,500 firefighters across four departments and 96 fire stations in the county. It found that only 4% of firefighters were women — far below the 17% target recommended by Women in Fire, an advocacy group.

As of 2026, the San Jose Fire Department has 650 sworn firefighters, including 37 women or roughly 5.7% of the workforce compared to just 16, or 2%, in 2020.

Returning participant Aundrea Burkhead-Todorovits, who is in the fire academy and three weeks away from graduation as a firefighter-paramedic, said the boot camp program motivated her to join.

“This event was a great insight into what a day in the academy might be like,” Burkhead-Todorovits told San José Spotlight.

Burkhead-Todorovits said she was inspired by the opportunity to complete a difficult workout alongside like-minded people.

“Fire service is all about the people,” she said. “I think making all the connections was pivotal for me.”

This is the seventh year of the boot camp, which features an intensive circuit workout and demonstrations by professional firefighters. Condren said the event also gives participants an opportunity to ask questions in a safe space about breaking into a male-dominated field.

“I hated being the only woman all the time,” Condren said.

Condren said she pitched the program to Fire Chief Robert Sapien Jr. after three years in the department, when there were only 16 women serving alongside her. She said physical fitness is a common point of connection among women on the job. Historically it’s been one of the barriers for newcomers because there haven’t been any female mentors.

“The idea behind this is that we do a really hard workout,” Condren, who joined the department in 2014, said. “We don’t pull punches. If you can do this workout and you’re good to go, you could probably start fire academy.”

The event is entirely women run and led, a decision Condren, who is also a paramedic, said is intentional. In addition to the workout stations, the boot camp also features female therapy dog handlers where participants can take breaks, along with female volunteers stationed with food, water and first aid.

Di-an Duong, a fire inspector and firefighter with SJFD, said the event is designed to show women, nonbinary and gender-expansive individuals that a career in the fire service is attainable, emphasizing the importance of representation and visibility within the profession.

Duong is also a co-owner and coach at FireLine Fit, a Sunnyvale-based fitness facility that prepares individuals for fire academy training.

“Growing up, I never knew becoming a firefighter was an option for me,” Duong told San José Spotlight. “That’s why events like this are so important. It was powerful to see participants ranging from 16 years old to adults challenge themselves, build confidence and connect not only with our staff, but with one another.”

Burkhead-Todorovits said encouraging woman at the boot camp is personal.

“I feel very lucky to be here and to get to be one of the few women who will inspire other women to join as well,” Burkhead-Todorovits said. “Women can absolutely do it too. It’s not an easy job, but if you’re willing to put in the work, absolutely you can do it.”

Contact Sofia Ruvalcaba at [email protected] or @sofiaruvs on X.