First all female fire crew in Oxfordshire in 20 years

An all female fire and rescue crew is responding to emergencies in Oxfordshire for the first time in 20 years.

The five on-call firefighters, based in Abingdon, all live in the town and are close to the fire station. They share their story in the lead up to International Women’s Day, taking place on Sunday 8 March.

Emily Potter, firefighter in Oxfordshire County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service, and part of the all female crew, said: “For as long as I can remember we’ve had female on-call firefighters based in Abingdon, and across many of our other fire stations too.

“What’s different now is that through a combination of training, availability and living locally, the five of us can crew a fire appliance together when needed.

“We’ve worked incredibly hard to gain the necessary skills so we can respond together as an all female crew. Our commitment shows just how capable and determined we are and we’re proud of what we’ve achieved together.

“It’s been an empowering experience, a journey of camaraderie, supported by our chief fire officer and colleagues at the station, and I hope it encourages more women to see firefighting as a career for them.”

Overall, Abingdon Fire Station has 17 on-call firefighters, 12 males and five females. They work alongside 12 full-time crew members, ten males and two females.

On-call firefighters participate in a wide range of activities in their local area, from responding to emergency calls to providing prevention advice to help keep residents safe and, ultimately, to save lives.

As on-call firefighters, the five all female crew have other jobs outside of the service but make themselves available at certain times to respond to emergency calls. When this happens, they will quickly make their way to their fire station from home, work or wherever they happen to be, all aided by living locally.

On-call firefighters are offered a flexible shift pattern to fit around their studies, work and family commitments, to attract a wide range of people to the service.

Emily is currently working as an engineer. She has been an on-call firefighter for over seven years. Her fellow crew members are Anastasia Osborne, Kayleigh Williams, Maria Alegria and Karen Bellcourt.

Maria, an on-call firefighter for nearly four years, works at London Oxford Airport, while Kayleigh, a mum of two, is a photographer who has been an on-call firefighter for three years.

Anastasia has been an on-call firefighter for nearly two years, and is employed as a firefighter at RAF Brize Norton.

Karen, a mum of three and an on-call firefighter for over four years, also works as a student health and safety adviser at Abingdon and Witney College.

Karen said: “Being able to respond from my primary employment, close to the fire station, makes being an on-call firefighter achievable for me, and the flexibility and support of my employer is brilliant.

“Working alongside my female colleagues as part of the wider Abingdon crew is both an honour and a privilege. Through supporting our community and one another, we live the spirit of ‘give to gain,’ proving that when we step forward and give, we all grow stronger together.”

Rob MacDougall, Chief Fire Officer, Oxfordshire County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service, said: “As we mark International Women’s Day, it’s especially important to recognise the dedication of the Abingdon crew and our commitment to equal opportunities across our fire and rescue service. We now have 56 female operational firefighters in Oxfordshire.

“We’ve come a long way since our first all female fire crew over 20 years ago in Faringdon and I remember thinking back then that we’d achieve it again. Now we have at Abingdon.

“Here in Oxfordshire, we pride ourselves on being an inclusive organisation, welcoming applications from everyone with the right attributes. If you’ve got what it takes to be a firefighter we’d love to hear from you.

“Our crew at Abingdon Fire Station is a brilliant example of what can be achieved when we embrace diversity and promote inclusivity.”

Rebecca Rimmer, Watch Manager at Faringdon Fire Station, reflects on being part of the first all female crew in Faringdon two decades ago: “I have gained so much from my career in the fire service. It’s pushed me out of my comfort zone in so many positive ways and allowed me to gain skills that I’ve applied in all aspects of my life, even in my most important job of being a mum to my two children.

“Twenty years ago, being in that groundbreaking all female crew based at Faringdon felt like breaking through a glass ceiling. We had to go that extra mile to prove we were just as capable as the men in dealing with the daily physical and mental challenges the role entails.

“It’s taken longer than I expected to see another all female crew in place, but we’ve got there and now I hope the Abingdon team will inspire more women to consider a role as an on-call firefighter where a flexible work pattern can be put in place to work around family commitments, career or studies, or indeed a full-time firefighter.”

Attributes and requirements needed by on-call firefighters include:

• a strong desire to support the local community
• enthusiasm for working as part of a team
• a reasonable level of fitness
• living or working within a close distance to the local fire station (approximately five minutes).

Further information about becoming an on-call firefighter is available by emailing [email protected] or from Oxfordshire County Council’s website.

Oxfordshire County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service will be launching its next recruitment campaign for whole‑time firefighters shortly, welcoming applications from individuals interested in joining the service in a full‑time capacity.

FIRE Magazine

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