COFFEE COUNTY, Ga. (WALB) — Engineer Dusti Heath has made history as the first female fire instructor for the city of Douglas.

Although only about 9% of firefighters in the United States are women, Heath says she has never let that intimidate her. Now, she’s breaking barriers while encouraging other women to pursue careers in the fire service.

Heath, who serves as both a firefighter and an engineer, said she was treated equally from the start.

“The same consequences, the same standards, the same expectations — I was never treated differently,” Heath said.

She emphasized that women shouldn’t be intimidated by joining fields like firefighting.

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