Nathalie is a full-time mission officer and volunteer firefighter in a coastal town along the Atlantic coast. She balances her professional life with raising her children and her role as a volunteer firefighter. She has been volunteering for six years and is part of a rescue center that includes ten other women, about sixty men, and a dozen professional firefighters. Nathalie decided to become a volunteer after someone challenged her initial concerns about distance, physical fitness, and time availability. She joined the rescue center in January 2020 after approval from an advisory committee, which reminded her of the responsibilities and constraints of the role. In June 2020, Nathalie’s husband passed away, but she chose to continue her training and volunteer work, which she says helped her cope with her grief. She describes her duties as a “safety valve” for her sorrow and considers her commitment to firefighting an essential part of her life, alongside her job and her children. Her employer supports her civic involvement by giving her 20 days of paid leave per year for training and recovery. She earns about 350 euros per month from her volunteer work, based on the number of hours she spends on guard duty and the number of interventions she participates in. She works during the day and volunteers at night and on weekends, relying on the support of her employer and colleagues. Nathalie has faced challenging situations in her volunteer firefighting role, such as encountering elderly individuals living in poverty and providing care that goes beyond her official duties—like warming up meals for a man who often forgets to eat. She also recalls being supported by her colleagues after a difficult intervention, including messages from her boss ensuring her well-being. Nathalie sometimes feels frustrated by tasks such as picking up intoxicated individuals, as she believes these actions don’t address the root of the problem but merely move it elsewhere. She also notes that her uniform is not adapted to women’s bodies, causing discomfort such as tightness around the hips and wide waistbands that lead to blisters after long shifts. The rescue center has installed an Algeco—a temporary building used for storage or extra space—for a larger changing room for women, but uniforms and equipment remain a challenge. Nathalie, now a caporal-chef (a non-commissioned officer rank), aspires to become a sergeant and acknowledges the need for systemic changes to better accommodate the growing number of women in the profession. She supports efforts to improve the status of volunteers, such as validated quarters for pensions and better support for families. However, she remains discreet about large mobilizations and focuses on her current responsibilities.