Call for more women firefighters

'If a gran can do it, anyone can'

A campaign urging more women to become firefighters has been launched with the message: "To be part of our team you don't have to be one of the boys."

Adverts show women with make-up on the top half of their faces and the other half covered in black soot, while the headline reads: "One of the girls".

The service said it wanted to emphasise the shift away from the "traditional and stereotypical firefighter image."

In Wales, 2% of firefighters and 3% of their retained colleagues are women.

The reason we want to get women firefighters in is to challenge the stereotypical images of firefighters being big and butch and white and male Claire Morgans, South Wales Fire and Rescue Service

The three Welsh fire and rescue services have joined forces with the assembly government for the campaign.

Posters, which will be seen in places such as gyms, leisure centres and shops, feature four female firefighters from across Wales.

A hotline for women interested in getting more information about a career as a firefighter has also been set up.

Claire Morgans, of South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said this was the first time all in Wales had come together to raise awareness among women that a career with them is not "out of their grasp".

"The reason we want to get women firefighters in is to challenge the stereotypical images of firefighters being big and butch and white and male," she said.

Women can bring many skills to the role, she said, such as communication which is vital to be able to carry out the educational aspect of the job today.

She said: "Obviously women still need to have physical strength and stamina.

"To educate and communicate is just as important as the actual physical skills firefighters need.

FEMALE FIREFIGHTERS Wales: 87 out of 3,640 South Wales: 23 out of around 1,500 Mid and West Wales: 52 out of 1,173 North Wales: 32 out of 884 England: 768 (2.5%); 471 retained (3.4%)

"Some of our women firefighters are just as strong (as the men). Some are not... that's when team-building and teamwork comes to the fore."

The shift pattern of retained firefighters, she said, could be particularly suitable for women who can fit it around their work or children.

Brian Fraser, chief fire officer of the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said all the Welsh services were committed to equal opportunities.

"Our firefighters come in all shapes and sizes and from all walks of life.

"The fire and rescue service is a truly community-based organisation, so it's important that the employees of the service should reflect the communities we serve" he said.

Social Justice and Public Service Delivery Minister Andrew Davies said: "The fire and rescue services play a crucial role in the safety and security of Wales and it is vital they have the right mixture of talent to meet the evolving needs of the 21st Century."

The hotline for women who want to know more about joining the fire service is 08000 224 050.