First Woman Promoted to Captain for Great Falls Fire Rescue

Great Falls Fire Rescue calls it an historic moment. For the first time a woman has risen through the ranks and has now been promoted to captain.

The announcement was made shortly after Christmas that Captain Maren Reilly had been promoted.

Here's more from a Great Falls Fire Rescue Facebook post:

Captain Reilly's journey exemplifies dedication, resilience, and unwavering courage. Since joining Great Falls Fire Rescue nearly 13 years ago as a firefighter, she has consistently demonstrated exceptional skill, leadership, and a deep understanding of the demands of this critical role.

Three and half years ago we also shared the story when Captain Reilly was promoted to Lieutenant. I liked what she told me back then as KRTV was reporting on her becoming the first woman promoted to Lieutenant with Great Falls Fire Rescue.

Then-LT Reilly in 2021: I'm super grateful and humbled by the opportunity, but I also don't want to overplay it. We have a bunch of amazing guys on our department who have done the same thing and been in the same place, and I've had exactly the same opportunities that they have. They deserve just as much credit for being in the positions they are as I do. So I, you know, I don't, I don't want to take credit where it's not necessarily due. I mean, it's awesome.  And I'm super glad to be here. But we have a lot of amazing people on our department who also deserve a lot of credit and a lot of credit for helping me get to this point.

By the way, I think I first spotted this news thanks to Captain Reilly's sister and brother-in-law who live in Billings. For our Great Falls friends, give Captain Reilly a big congrats on our behalf and thanks to all her fellow firefighters. For our Billings friends, next time you stop in at Bretz RV & Marine, say hello to Captain Reilly's brother in law Aaron Brown.