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class="item-image item-featured-image"> <a href="/newsroom/classic-fire-life-safety-calls-on-more-women-to-build-careers-in-fire-protection/" title="Classic Fire + Life Safety calls on more women to build careers in fire protection" class="item-image-cover" style="--bg-image: url('/files/classicfls/20220411-121908.jpg');"> <img src="/files/classicfls/20220411-121908.jpg" alt="Classic Fire + Life Safety calls on more women to build careers in fire protection"> </a> </div> <div class="item-header-content"> <time pubdate class="item-published" title=" 2026-09-24T14:00:00Z" datetime=" 2026-09-24T14:00:00Z"> 5 days ago</time> <h3 class="item-title"><a title="" href="/newsroom/classic-fire-life-safety-calls-on-more-women-to-build-careers-in-fire-protection/">Classic Fire + Life Safety calls on more women to build careers in fire protection</a></h3> </div> </div> <article> <div class="item-content"> <p><strong>Toronto, September 24, 2026 –</strong> Classic Fire + Life Safety is calling on more women to consider careers in fire protection and life safety, as the company announces it has doubled its roster of women tradespeople over the past four years, growing to 16 women sprinkler fitters and fire alarm technicians in 2026, up from eight in 2022.</p> <p>The announcement comes ahead of the inaugural Women in Fire Protection event on October 1 in Toronto, where participants will learn more about skilled-trades pathways and career opportunities in the fire protection industry.</p> <p>“We are proud of the progress we have made, but more needs to be done,” says Lucy Machado, Vice President, Human Resources at Classic. “Our industry is growing, our company is expanding, and we are committed to encouraging more women to consider careers in fire protection and life safety. Every day, our teams help to protect people, property and communities. It is meaningful work that offers purpose, long-term opportunity and the chance to make a real difference.”</p> <p>Classic Fire + Life Safety is a proud sponsor of the inaugural event. Kelly Parascandalo, COO, and Lucy Machado, Vice President of Human Resources, will join CEO Mike Farren in participating in the day’s activities and discussions.</p> <p>Classic says events such as Women in Fire Protection are essential to raising awareness about rewarding careers that many Canadians may not know exist — a gap reflected in recent research.</p> <p>“Fire protection is a tremendous industry,” says Kelly Parascandalo, COO of Classic. “It offers job satisfaction, career security and opportunities for advancement. Just as importantly, our culture is built around people, teamwork and supporting one another. We need more events like this to introduce women to the possibilities that exist in the skilled trades.”</p> <p>According to a 2025 Leger omnibus survey conducted on behalf of Classic Fire + Life Safety, only one in ten adult Canadians is currently working in a skilled trade, and 67 per cent of adult Canadian women have never considered a career in the skilled trades.</p> <p>Awareness of specific fire protection careers is even lower. Only three in ten adults are familiar with fire alarm technician as a career choice, with awareness dropping to 24 per cent among women. Awareness of sprinkler fitter careers is lower still, with only one in five Canadians familiar with the occupation, compared to 14 per cent of women.</p> <p>Classic believes increasing awareness is a critical first step toward attracting more women into fire protection and helping address ongoing labour shortages across the skilled trades.</p> <p>"We've seen firsthand the value that women bring to our organization and to the fire protection industry as a whole," says Mike Farren, CEO of Classic. "We are committed to encouraging the next generation of women to explore careers that offer stability, growth and the opportunity to join us in helping to save and protect lives."</p> <p>The inaugural <strong>Women in Fire Protection</strong> event will be held on October 1 at the Amsterdam Barrel House in Leaside, Toronto. Learn more at <a href="https://www.wifp.ca/" target="_blank" aria-label="wifp.ca (opens in new window)" rel="noreferrer noopener">wifp.ca</a>.</p> <p>To consult results from the 2025 survey, visit <a href="https://classicfls.com/measureup/">classicfls.com/measureup</a>.</p> </div> </article> <div class="item-footer"> <p class="item-nav"><a class="all-items btn" href="/newsroom/" role="button"><span>View All</span></a> <a class="older-item btn chevron-right" href="/newsroom/how-facility-managers-can-build-a-more-predictable-fire-protection-budget/" role="button"><span>How Facility Managers Can Build a More Predictable Fire Protection Budget</span></a></p> </div> </div> <div class="item-list-footer"> <div class="related-blogs"></div> </div> <script type="application/ld+json"> {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Article","headline":"Classic Fire + Life Safety calls on more women to build careers in fire protection","description":"The company announces it has doubled its roster of women tradespeople over the past four years, growing to 16 women sprinkler fitters and fire alarm technicians in 2026, up from eight in 2022.","articleBody":"Toronto, September 24, 2026 – Classic Fire + Life Safety is calling on more women to consider careers in fire protection and life safety, as the company announces it has doubled its roster of women tradespeople over the past four years, growing to 16 women sprinkler fitters and fire alarm technicians in 2026, up from eight in 2022.\nThe announcement comes ahead of the inaugural Women in Fire Protection event on October 1 in Toronto, where participants will learn more about skilled-trades pathways and career opportunities in the fire protection industry.\n“We are proud of the progress we have made, but more needs to be done,” says Lucy Machado, Vice President, Human Resources at Classic. “Our industry is growing, our company is expanding, and we are committed to encouraging more women to consider careers in fire protection and life safety. Every day, our teams help to protect people, property and communities. It is meaningful work that offers purpose, long-term opportunity and the chance to make a real difference.”\nClassic Fire + Life Safety is a proud sponsor of the inaugural event. Kelly Parascandalo, COO, and Lucy Machado, Vice President of Human Resources, will join CEO Mike Farren in participating in the day’s activities and discussions.\nClassic says events such as Women in Fire Protection are essential to raising awareness about rewarding careers that many Canadians may not know exist — a gap reflected in recent research.\n“Fire protection is a tremendous industry,” says Kelly Parascandalo, COO of Classic. “It offers job satisfaction, career security and opportunities for advancement. Just as importantly, our culture is built around people, teamwork and supporting one another. We need more events like this to introduce women to the possibilities that exist in the skilled trades.”\nAccording to a 2025 Leger omnibus survey conducted on behalf of Classic Fire + Life Safety, only one in ten adult Canadians is currently working in a skilled trade, and 67 per cent of adult Canadian women have never considered a career in the skilled trades.\nAwareness of specific fire protection careers is even lower. Only three in ten adults are familiar with fire alarm technician as a career choice, with awareness dropping to 24 per cent among women. Awareness of sprinkler fitter careers is lower still, with only one in five Canadians familiar with the occupation, compared to 14 per cent of women.\nClassic believes increasing awareness is a critical first step toward attracting more women into fire protection and helping address ongoing labour shortages across the skilled trades.\n\"We've seen firsthand the value that women bring to our organization and to the fire protection industry as a whole,\" says Mike Farren, CEO of Classic. \"We are committed to encouraging the next generation of women to explore careers that offer stability, growth and the opportunity to join us in helping to save and protect lives.\"\nThe inaugural Women in Fire Protection event will be held on October 1 at the Amsterdam Barrel House in Leaside, Toronto. Learn more at wifp.ca.\nTo consult results from the 2025 survey, visit classicfls.com/measureup.","datePublished":"2026-09-24T14:00:00Z","dateModified":"2026-09-23T14:06:11Z","author":{"@type":"Person","name":""},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","url":"classicfls.com","name":"Classic Fire + Life Safety"},"image":"https://classicfls.com/files/classicfls/20220411-121908.jpg"} </script> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </section> <div data-alias="include" class="widget include-widget include-footer"> <footer> <div class="wrapper"> <a class="customer-service" href="/contact-us/">24/7 Customer Service</a> <div class="flex"> <div class="logos flex"> <!--<a href="https://mccaincapital.com/" target="_blank"><img src="/files/classicfls/web-img/logo-mccain.png" alt="McCain Capital Partners"></a>--> <a href="/"><img src="/files/classicfls/web-img/logo-footer.png" alt="Classic Fire & Life Safety"></a> </div> <div class="copyright"> <div class="module content-module rwtmodule" data-alias="content"> <p>© Classic Fire & Life Safety Inc. <br> All Rights Reserved.</p> </div> </div> <div class="nav flex"> <div data-alias="navigation" class="widget navigation-widget navigation-module collapse force-collapse standard"> <div> <nav> <ul class="menu justify-normal"> <li class="item item-our-company l1 first"><a href="/our-company/overview/" data-ttype="2"><span>Our Company</span></a></li> <li class="item item-mergers-acquisitions l1"><a href="https://classicfls.com/our-company/mergers-acquisitions/" data-ttype="2"><span>Mergers & Acquisitions</span></a></li> <li class="item item-careers l1 last"><a href="https://classicfls.com/careers/" data-ttype="2"><span>Careers</span></a></li> </ul> </nav> </div> </div> <div data-alias="navigation" class="widget navigation-widget navigation-module collapse force-collapse standard"> <div> <nav> <ul class="menu justify-normal"> <li class="item item-newsroom l1 first last active current" aria-current="page"><a href="https://classicfls.com/newsroom/" data-ttype="2"><span>Newsroom</span></a></li> </ul> </nav> </div> </div> </div> <div class="social"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Classic-FireLife-Safety-108316648273862" target="_blank" class="facebook" title="Facebook" aria-label="Facebook (opens in new window)" rel="noreferrer noopener">Facebook</a> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/classic-fire-life-safety/" target="_blank" class="linkedin" title="LinkedIn" aria-label="LinkedIn (opens in new window)" rel="noreferrer noopener">LinkedIn</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/classicfls/" target="_blank" class="instagram" title="Instagram" aria-label="Instagram (opens in new window)" rel="noreferrer noopener">Instagram</a> </div> </div> <div class="flex bottom"> <div class="canada"> <div class="module content-module rwtmodule" data-alias="content"> <p>We are proud to be owned, operated, and headquartered in Canada.</p> </div> </div> <div class="flex partners"> <a href="http://www.esasafe.com/" target="_blank" aria-label=" (opens in new window)" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="/files/classicfls/web-img/logo-esa.png" alt="Electrical Safety Authority"></a> <a href="http://www.cfaa.ca/" target="_blank" aria-label=" (opens in new window)" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="/files/classicfls/web-img/logo-cfaa.png" alt="Fire Alarm Association Canada"></a> <a href="http://www.nfpa.org/" target="_blank" aria-label=" (opens in new window)" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="/files/classicfls/web-img/logo-nfpa.png" alt="NFPA"></a> <a href="http://www.canasa.org/" target="_blank" aria-label=" (opens in new window)" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="/files/classicfls/web-img/logo-canasa.png" alt="Canasa"></a> <a href="http://www.casa-firesprinkler.org/" target="_blank" aria-label=" (opens in new window)" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="/files/classicfls/web-img/logo-casa.png" alt="CASA"></a> </div> </div> </div> </footer> <div class="moduleregion"></div> </div> <div id="templatefooter"> <div class="branding"> <a href="https://build.barkbuilder.com/bb4/?z=20604" target="_blank" aria-label=" (opens in new window)" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="/common/images/powered_by_bb_v2.png" id="footer_logo" border="0" alt="Powered by Bark Builder"></a> </div> </div> <script type="text/javascript" id="hs-script-loader" async src="//js.hs-scripts.com/9196939.js"></script> <script src="/files/classicfls/carousel/owl.carousel.min.js"></script> <script> $.fn.shuffleChildren = function() { $.each(this.get(), function(index, el) { var $el = $(el); 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