In honor of Women’s History month, we are shining a spotlight on several remarkable women who have made groundbreaking contributions to the world of safety. At CPI Security, safety and innovation are at the heart of what we do, and this month, we want to focus on the women who came before us to pave the way in safety whether that be through inventions or impact.
Molly Wiliams – First Female Firefighter
In the winter of 1818, influenza raged through New York state. When a blizzard struck and the volunteer firefighters found themselves ill, a fire broke out in the Ocean Engine Company 11 district.
Molly Williams was the only person who was not ill and ended up dragging a manual water pump through the snow to respond to the fire. She is the earliest African American individual and the first woman known to be in the fire service. Not only was she a pioneer for people of color, but she also continues to serve as an inspiration for women seeking to have a career in emergency services. (1)
Marie Owens – First US Marshall
In 1889, Chicago passed an ordinance that prohibited organizations from employing children under the age of 14, and Marie Owens was one of five women that the city hired to enforce the new ordinance. As a sanitary inspector, her job was to monitor conditions in stores, factories, and apartments, which the city felt she was uniquely qualified for as she was a mother of five herself. She was the first female police officer on record and was very successful in her role.
Marie was passionate about her work and was able to rescue hundreds of children from illegal and possibly dangerous workplaces, while also helping them find alternate means to support their families. Her dedication led to her being promoted to work with the Board of Education to enforce truancy, child labor, and education laws. This promotion came with the commiserate salary, badge, and arrest authority that came with being a detective. She paved the way for future female police officers to succeed in their field. (2)
Nancy Allen – First Female Fire Chief in South Carolina
In 1931, Nancy Allen organized and financed the Cedar Hill Volunteer Fire Department in Warwick, MA after her family’s estate kept being threatened by fires. Fifteen men volunteered to join the department and unanimously elected Allen as “Chief Nancy.”
Before she organized the volunteer fire department, Nancy purchased a Dodge-Graham truck in 1928 and converted it to a fire engine – complete with 1,000 feet of fire hose, two motored water pumps, a generator, 500 feet of cable, and three portable floodlights so the firefighters could defend their community both night and day.
Allen became the first woman to join the International Association of Fire Chiefs, and she also joined the ninety-nines, the International Organization of Women Pilots. In 1937, Allen was flying and saw a house directly in the path of a fire, she ended up alerting the firefighters and saving the home and family.
Nancy was a pioneer as a firefighter and as a woman. She was the first of many females who became first responders and wasn’t afraid to join organizations and pave the way for others to do the same. Her fearlessness helped her succeed and helped others succeed around her as well. (3)
Anna Connelly – Inventor of the Fire Escape
Anna Connelly was one of the first women to register a patent for an invention following the Civil War, which is when it became permissible for women to do so. In 1887, Anna patented her invention which was for a light, sturdy railed bridge that would connect a burning building to a non-burning one from the roof to aid people in escaping danger.
Her design was not only intuitive but cost-effective, as the escape could be added to the exterior of buildings rather than owners needing to go through a costly remodeling process. It was the precursor to the metal fire escapes you see on the outside of buildings today. (4)
Stephanie Kwolek – Inventor of Kevlar Vests
In an effort to save money for medical school, Stephanie Kwolek was hired by DuPont Company in their research department to develop improved fibers in their laboratory. Kwolek specialized in low-temperature processes for creating long molecule chains called crystalline polymers.
She discovered her invention accidentally, and it was through her colleague’s insistence and encouragement that she weave the polymers into synthetic fibers. It was here that she discovered how strong her invention could be and has since saved thousands of lives with the Kevlar vest.
Stephanie is a testament to finding beauty in mistakes and not counting all as loss when something doesn’t turn out as you plan. When we take time to see things from another angle it opens us up to new possibilities and possibly, a path that can change the lives of others. (5)
Marie Van Brittan Brown – Inventor of the Home Security System
Due to the high crime rate in Queens and slow police response times, Marie Van Brittan Brown was determined to find a solution to help her, and her family feel safe. As a way to raise her personal level of security, she created a system that allowed her to view who was at the door through a camera that was connected to a monitor.
As she and her husband worked different hours, Marie needed a way to feel safe when her husband was working. The security system featured two-way communication, surveillance, and a button that immediately contacted the police.
Marie and her husband filed for a patent in 1966 for her Home Security System, and her application was approved three years later, in 1969. Her Home Security System won an award from the National Scientists Committee and was interviewed in the New York Times. Her invention has been referenced by 56 other patents, most recently in 2014, over 45 years after her patent was approved.
Marie paved the way for organizations like CPI to further her invention and improve upon her idea to help people feel more secure and give them peace of mind, no matter the circumstances (6).
We are grateful to these women for paving the way and enabling others to follow in their footsteps and improve upon their inventions and accomplishments. Sometimes the greatest impacts start with one person having the courage to step out and try something new in hopes that it will improve the lives of people around them. This month, we honor those women who acted on that courage.
- https://rentonrfa.com/2024/02/celebrating-black-history-month-molly-williams/
- https://petticoatsandpistols.com/2019/03/04/marie-owens-first-us-female-police-officer/
- https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/anne-crawford-nancy-allen-holst#:~:text=The%20first%20woman%20to%20join,safeguard%20her%20community%20for%20decades.
- https://livingfires.co.uk/2022/03/03/a-celebration-of-anna-connelly/
- https://www.womenofthehall.org/inductee/stephanie-l-kwolek/
- https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/brown-marie-van-brittan-1922-1999/
