Ella DeVine is Roseville Fire’s first Fire Cadet to work with the City. Through the cadet program, DeVine will work with current fire fighters in the field, while attending courses to receive her Emergency Medical Service (EMS) and fire certification.  

The program is designed to help recruit people of diverse backgrounds to the fire service. It also helps reduce financial barriers through offering pay and benefits to non-traditional recruits as they complete their fire certification. 

DeVine graduated from Roseville High School in 2022, but she’s known for years that this was the path she wanted to take.  

“I think what is most rewarding thing about being a first responder is the chance to help people. They are calling you in the time when they're stressed and they're scared and you get to be there to be that person to calm them down and to tell them, ‘Okay, this is what we're going to do, and we're going do everything we can for you.’” 

When DeVine finishes her Firefighting and Emergency Medical Services certification through Century College later this year, she will be eligible to become a full-time member of any fire department.  

“We look at this position as a way to help strengthen the fire profession as a whole,” says Neil Sjostrom, assistant fire chief with Roseville Fire. It’s a concrete way to be supportive of bringing women and people of color into the fire service. People who might not have considered doing it before.”