This girl is on fire: Onset’s first female career firefighter joins ranks
Jenna Klemp, 22, from Onset, is the first female full-time firefighter at Onset Fire Department. Photos source: Jenna Klemp
Klemp operates the Onset Fire Department Marine 1 Unit in Onset Bay.
Other than firefighting, her job includes inspection services, public assistance and acting as a first responder.
Jenna Klemp, 22, from Onset, is the first female full-time firefighter at Onset Fire Department. Photos source: Jenna Klemp
Klemp operates the Onset Fire Department Marine 1 Unit in Onset Bay.
Other than firefighting, her job includes inspection services, public assistance and acting as a first responder.
Jenna Klemp is on fire this year after becoming the first female career firefighter at Onset Fire Department.
The 22-year-old is a first-generation college graduate from Massachusetts Maritime Academy, where she worked as a cadet with the Onset fire department for three years. In September, she became the first full-time female firefighter in the department, soon to be the fire prevention officer.
“I’ve always had a passion to help the community,” Klemp said. “I really enjoy doing my job, being able to help people that need help. It’s the best job in the world. I wouldn’t have wanted to go on any different career path.”
The department currently has about seven female firefighters who are call volunteers, which means they respond to an incident if their help is needed. Klemp also works in the fire prevention office.
On any given day, Klemp does inspectional services and public assistance, putting up smoke detectors and helping people after falls. She also works alongside Emergency Medical Services as a first responder to emergencies.
She said every call to the department is to help someone in need. Her favorite part of the job is interacting with community members and knowing that she’s ensuring their safety.
“I like being prepared for any emergency that happens. It makes me feel fulfilled to know that I am capable of doing whatever they need,” Klemp said. “It’s just so rewarding being able to train to be the best possible version of yourself, to do any job that’s tasked to you.”
She said some people feel more comfortable or safer with a female firefighter, and she is better able to provide the comfort they need.
“It’s a good feeling knowing they feel comfortable because I’m there,” Klemp said. “It’s really important to have more female representation in the fire service. We are just as capable as everyone else.”
She felt proud knowing she earned this position over others in a male-dominated field, she said. She encourages young girls to pursue firefighting, just as her parents did for her growing up.
“It makes me feel good that I can make my parents proud. They’ve always pushed me to my limits and made sure I could go further than I could ever imagine. I owe all my courage and motivation to them,” she said.
