Firefighting women wanted (From Your Local Guardian)

Firefighting women wanted

1:20pm Saturday 23rd August 2008 in

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I have had a love for firemen since London’s Burning burst on to our screens all those years ago but, after spending a few hours being put through my paces by Painshill Red Watch, I have found a whole new respect for them.

Half an hour after being kitted out in fire retardant kit and what felt like cement-filled boots, I was sweating uncontrollably. After climbing a ladder up three storeys, I was practically dead on my feet.

As I feebly struggled to roll up a fireman’s hose, I caught a glimpse of station manager Karen Pointer charging past me, grinning, as she carried out the same task with a fraction of the effort.

Karen clearly loves her job. And is clearly superhuman.

Her strength and vigour put me to shame, burying any misconceptions I may have had about the capabilities of women in the job.

“Females are physically capable of undertaking the role of a firefighter. The equipment we use, the uniforms we wear, the vehicles we ride in, are all designed to suit the needs of both sexes,” says Karen, who has been with the fire service for 20 years.

“A lot of women are probably scared off because it is quite a male-dominated environment, but the guys are all great and there’s absolutely no reason to stop women joining up and doing really well.”

Surrey Fire and Rescue Service is of the same opinion, actively encouraging women to apply so their teams can reflect the communities they serve.

They are currently offering “have-a-go” days for women to visit fire stations and see for themselves what the job entails by taking part in two drill exercises.

Unfortunately, my day made up my mind that I’m not cut out for anything remotely physical.

Nearly keeling over with the weight of the breathing apparatus sounded the end to any firefighting dreams I may have harboured, but a successful applicant would be entering a fantastic working environment.

Close working relationships are built between the firefighters and, as I watch a member of the team cooking them all a lamb chop dinner, it is obvious working in the fire service is more than just a job.

It is more like a family and, for many, becomes a lifelong career. Caribbean-born Ray Antrobus, a firefighter at Painshill, originally started as a part-timer to get to know the area but was soon drawn in.

“I was warmly accepted and as a result I got more and more involved with the service,” he says. “I had lots of support during this time and when it comes to your development I’ve found the senior management to be both approachable and encouraging.”

While I was at the station, an emergency call came through following a road traffic accident (RTA) and as I stood there waving my hose about in baffled bemusement, Red Watch were just a siren in the distance. When they say they leave the station within two minutes of an emergency call, they are not joking.

I followed with Karen in a service vehicle, with our photographer bundled in the back, and for a few minutes felt the buzz that firefighters must feel on a day-to-day basis.

“When you first start, you sit there wanting something to happen so you can get out there,” says Karen as she drives back from what turned out to be a false alarm.

“After a while, with RTAs, you do get to the point where you think that’s it, I’ve had enough of these now. Having said that, the adrenalin still pumps through you when you get that call.”

Karen was the eighth female firefighter to be appointed and has worked her way up the ranks. There are now 20 females working in the Surrey service, which makes up just five per cent of the operational staff.

That is why Karen is so supportive of the recruitment campaign and so keen to attract females, who she knows are capable of filling the firefighter’s boots.

The job is physically challenging but, with more and more involvement in the community, it is one of the most rewarding career paths you could wish to take.

Do you think you have what it takes? The next “have-a-go” day is at Walton station on August 28 with sessions at 2pm and 6pm. Woking fire station is also holding sessions on September 27 at 10am,1pm and 4pm.

Call 01737 224058 to book your place.