They say where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire.
- Tampa Fire Dept. calendar features 31 or 45 female firefighters
- Proceeds go to three different charities
- First year the all-female calendar has been published
In this case, the smoke is the calendar, and the fire is inside the pages of the Tampa Fire Department's new all-female calendar.
Tampa Fire Rescue captain Luanna Baughman helped put the calendar together and is also featured in it.
“I sent an email to the entire department, and I asked every woman to be a part of the calendar. I said we're not turning you down," Baughman said.
The calendar features 31 out of the department's 45 female firefighters. Each month features current and some recently retired firefighters dressed in something other than their full fire gear.
Barbara Tripp is the department's Rescue Chief and has worked there for years. She said she signed up to have her photo taken — reluctantly.
"I said oh my goodness I think I'm the oldest female that's on Tampa Fire rescue or the second oldest, which I felt privileged to be with some of the young girls and to make me feel like I still got it," Tripp said.
All of the proceeds from the calendar will go to three different charities that include the Firefighters Museum, Friends of Tampa Firefighters, Inc. and Camp Hopetake – a summer camp for pediatric burn survivors.
The charitable contribution is part of the reason why Laura Guggino said she wanted to be in the calendar, even after having a baby just five months before. She said the message was too positive to pass up the photo shoot.
"We were aiming for classy. We want people to see that we are females, we enjoy being pretty and looking nice but we also can put out a fire, lift you up on a medical call," Guggino said.
This is the first year for the all-female Tampa fire fighter calendar. But if people go to their website and purchase the calendars, they said it won't be the last.