Chicago FD EMS District Chief Pat Ciara

Pat Ciara, a long-time Chicago Fire Department (CFD) paramedic and the highest-ranking out lesbian in the department's history, shared her story of growing up as a tomboy and navigating a career in a traditionally male-dominated field. "I was a tomboy from an early age and knew there was something different about me since I was seven," she said. Her journey began with a strong sense of self that often clashed with her mother’s expectations.

"I wanted to do things that were considered 'boy' things, but my mom was worried about what the neighbors would think of our family. She kept putting me in dresses and trying to get me to play with dolls," Ciara recalled. "I didn’t really play with dolls like the other girls did—I used to rip their hair out and carry them by their legs." Despite this, she found her own path and eventually pursued a career in emergency services.

After high school, Ciara worked for a number of years before graduating from Mayfair College (now Truman College) in 1975 with an associate’s degree. She then joined a private Ambulance company and enrolled in EMT school in 1975 at Lutheran General. By 1976, she completed paramedic training at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood. "Right after that, I applied to the CFD not knowing if I’d get in, but I had to try because that’s what I really wanted to do," she said.

Before joining the CFD, Ciara ran her own ambulance company, Town & Country Ambulance, with a straight male partner named Gerry for about 18 months. In 1980, she received her acceptance letter from the CFD and had to end the partnership. "That was exactly what I wanted, so I told Gerry I couldn’t continue the business anymore," she said.

Ciara started at the CFD as a fire-medic and was quickly promoted to paramedic-in-charge. She later became a field chief and in 1994 was appointed chief of EMS training. "In that role, I oversaw all the paramedics who were hired and ensured they went through the proper CFD training," she explained. In 2000, she was promoted to deputy chief paramedic, overseeing 500 paramedics across a large area of the city.

After 9/11, Ciara took on a new role managing the logistics of the paramedic division. "When I first started, I had to bring all my own equipment—blood pressure cuffs, stethoscopes, intubation tools," she said. "The ambulances had very little supplies back then."

Throughout her career, Ciara continued her education, earning a Bachelor of Science in business management from National-Louis University in 2001 and a Master of Science in industrial relations from Loyola University in 2003. These degrees helped her reach her final position in 2004 as district chief and director of personnel. "Without my master’s degree, I wouldn’t have gotten that job," she said. In that role, she handled everything from retirement plans to medical evaluations for injured or ill firefighters.

In 2005, Ciara suffered a mild heart attack and underwent a procedure to place a stent. After cardiac rehab, she faced a difficult decision. "People told me to go on disability, but I wanted to return to work. Eventually, I took the disability payments and remained technically active, though now at 68, I’m looking to officially retire," she said. "I’m proud of my work. I loved the job and what I accomplished. Some of the people I mentored are now in powerful positions, and they still call me for advice. That makes me feel really good."

Two of the women who seek her guidance are lesbians. "The CFD doesn’t have many openly gay members, and there’s still some homophobia there," Ciara noted. She was a member of LGPA/GOAL Chicago, an LGBT police and fire association, which has participated in the Pride Parade. "The reception we got from the crowd was very positive," she said.

Ciara never came out to her family or colleagues. "I didn’t need to because, as they say, I’m a hundred footer—I look very butch," she joked. Her brother, Michael, followed in her footsteps and joined the CFD seven years after her.

Throughout her career, Ciara spoke about her wife as anyone would speak about their spouse. "We always included both of us in social gatherings," she said. In 2003, the couple had a civil union in Vermont and later married in Provincetown, Massachusetts, on August 28, 2010, with Michael as her best man. "Since we were already married, I just sent my marriage license to the pension board to update my status when it became legal here."

Thanks, Dan

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