Of the most recent batch of 24 students, 10 were women – representing more than 40 per cent.
The numbers mark a dramatic shift for the organisation, as women currently make up less than five per cent of its workforce. The new recruits have been participating in an intensive 13-week course at the Alexandria firefighting training college.
Increases in female participation should eventually bring firefighting in line with other jobs which many see as being traditionally male-dominated.
At present, women make up around 10 per cent of army personnel and 27 per cent of the Police Force in NSW. Positions in the NSW Fire Brigade are highly contested, with almost 7,000 applicants vying to be part of the latest intake.
For 22-year-old Clair Sergeant, firefighting is not only a dream come true but an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of her father and uncle. She said:
“It proves to people it’s not just a man’s job and that us women can do things like this. It’s always been the man that runs out of the building with a person over their shoulder.”
Greg Mullins, the service’s commissioner, is confident that that the uptake of women into the force will help to better reflect local and regional communities.
Credit for the successful push for more female firefighters can be attributed, in part, to the printing services which produce Posters and Banners for recruitment drives.
Get a Free Quote for Banners Get a Free Quote for Posters