The world’s shortest female firefighter says people ask what she can do at 4 feet, 10 inches, until she picks them up off the ground

Autumn Kelso is currently serving as a firefighter with St. Pete Beach Fire Rescue in Pinellas County, Florida. She has officially earned the title of the shortest female firefighter in the world from Guinness World Records. Standing at 4 feet, 10 inches, she received this distinction in early 2026.

As reported by PEOPLE, she spent much of her 20s working in the corporate world before she decided that sitting behind a desk was not the right fit for her. With some encouragement from friends who were already in the fire service, she shifted gears to pursue firefighting. She has now been in this profession for five years.

Kelso mentioned that her colleagues at the firehouse started joking about her height. “One of the guys decided to look it up one day, and realized that I could in fact actually go for this award,” she recalled while speaking to the organization. “We followed the steps, there was a big measuring process, and here we are!” She described the whole process as a fun twist of fate and one of the coolest experiences she has had.

Her coworkers call her ‘spider monkey’

Some might think her height would be a hindrance, but she finds that it often works in her favor. She joked that she cannot reach the top shelf, but she is the first person her team sends into tight spots. 

“Anytime I’ve ever had to crawl through a window — or if there’s ever anything up in an attic — usually the guys are the first to send me up there, because those are really tight spaces,” she explained. Her coworkers have even given her a nickname because of her ability to navigate these areas. “I get the job done,” she added. “A lot of the guys around here will call me ‘spider monkey’ because I’ll climb on whatever I need to.”

People do occasionally underestimate her when she arrives on a scene. She told The Independent about how some people react to her size. “You got little me walking in, and you always get these people who are like, ‘Oh, you’re so cute. What are you going to do?’ ” she told the outlet. “And I’m like, ‘Oh, watch.’ And we pick them up off the ground and they’re like, ‘Oh my god, you’re so strong.’ And I’m like, ‘I work really hard to be here.’ ”

For Kelso, the most rewarding part of the job is not the recognition or the heavy equipment. It is the chance to help people in her community. “The best part of my job is being able to help make a difference to the community,” she told Guinness World Records. 

“There’s no better feeling than being able to show up and see someone — who appears to be having the worst day of their life — and you’re there, and you’re able to make a little bit of a difference to them,” she explained.

She hopes her journey encourages others to chase their goals in emergency services. “Take the risk. Don’t let other people define your limits,” she advised. She noted that the job is tough for everyone regardless of how tall they are. 

“Firefighting is hard for anybody — mentally and physically. Whether you’re 4 feet, 10 inches, or 6 feet, 3 inches. This career is not easy,” she continued. “You’re going to be frustrated, probably discouraged some days, but you just have to show up and your willingness to never give up won’t go unnoticed.”