Things You Save in a Fire

The obstacle course behind station two is highly symbolic of Cassie’s struggles with her crewmates. Twice a year, the crew holds competitions on the boot-camp-style obstacle course to keep themselves in shape and as a means of bonding. Yet, when Cassie arrives, she notices one major problem; when she goes to show her crew how many pull-ups she can do, she can’t even reach the bar. The obstacle course was not built for anyone under six feet tall, and she is five-foot-six. The obstacle course, the station, and the fire department all have one major thing in common: They were not constructed with women in mind. The course is a symbol of how the men around her do not even believe it possible for a woman to be a firefighter.

However, Cassie uses the obstacle course continually to prove her worth to her co-workers, first when she arrives and makes a wager on how many pull-ups she can do and later when she stakes her job on being able to beat any man at the course. It also demonstrates that Cassie must work harder than the men to be accepted at her job. While the others are busy cracking jokes and pranking each other, Cassie studies and practices on the obstacle course, taking into account things like its angles and terrain that her co-workers—who can rely on size and muscle alone to complete the course—might not have considered.