My name is Coleen Mitchell. Iam currently a retired member of the
Philadelphia Fire Department. I was employed with the
Department for 12 years. I retired at the rank of Fire
Lieutenant. I am the Mother of 4 terrific kids and married to a
wonderful, supportive man.
I love what I did. Public Service can be the most rewarding and
frustrating jobs you can have. You are called upon when someone is in a time of need, counting on you to make it right. When things go
well you feel great and when it dosen't.... well that's where the
frustration comes in. The things I have seen has given me a
perspective to be grateful for what I have.
Even with all this going for me, at times working in a male
dominated field could be tough. There are men in this job that have
and did support me. They saw a person willing to do a job, not color,
gender , or ethnic origin. These men wouldl judge you fairly on the work you did and the dedication you have. To those people I owe a debt of
gratitude. When things were tough these people showed me they
were there for me, they shared stories that made me know I wasn't alone. They showed me they truly see Blue; and nothing else.
If you do run into difficulties you are not alone. There are others who have been down this road and have learned valuable lessons along the way. Bias can cross all lines and can affect the almost anybody. When it does get support from a Mentor, Family and Network with others. Don't suffer alone.
