significant benefit to women firefighters throughout Maryland and the country. More accurately, probably of benefit to all firefighters – men and women. It began when she co-founded Baltimore County Women in the Fire Service. Guided by Angie’s leadership and efforts, this group became an effective tool for supporting and coaching women as they entered the fire service and progressed through their careers. Angie later became increasingly involved as a leader in the International Association of Women in Fire and Emergency Services (iWomen). Her years of involvement with iWomen, and the strong leadership abilities she brought to whatever role she sought and accepted, made Captain Angela Hughes well suited to become the President of iWomen in 2015. This provided Angie with an international platform to work from in her unyielding efforts to recruit women into the fire and emergency service, and just as importantly, remove obstacles and help them succeed. In this role, she elevated not only the organization but was an advocate for women in all things related to their fire service careers. Captain Hughes was, for years, a featured speaker at conferences, authored a wide range of articles relating to women and the challenges they face, and served on many committees within the fire and emergency service community. One of her greatest opportunities was being invited to deliver the keynote address at the 2017 Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) in Indianapolis, Indiana. Her message was excellent and resonated loud and clear through the thousands of fire service members (mostly men) who were in the audience that day. Angie retired from the Baltimore County Fire Department in 2019, the same year that her term as President of iWomen was completed. It would be difficult to know Angie as a friend and colleague and not want to brag about her selfless leadership and contributions to women in the fire service. So, I am thrilled to do just that today. She is an exceptional person with a deep love for her family. It is an honor to recognize the personal and professional accomplishments of Fire Captain Angela Hughes during this Women’s History Month!
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