INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
H
aving taken on its first female recruit in 1994, Dublin Fire Brigade now has 59 female members wearing the uniform as firefighters, paramedics and fire prevention officers, with the opportunity to forge an exciting and rewarding career one of the many benefits of the job. Monday, 8 March was International Women’s Day, and to mark the event, some of DFB’s female members took part in a Q&A session on Instagram to answer questions and give details about the job to women interested in a career with the fire service, or who were just curious to know what it’s like to work within such a traditionally male-dominated profession. The members who took part were FF/Ps Amy Watters and Nicola Sheil, FF/AP Anne Bowler, Third Officer Barbara Cahill, A/C/ F/O Mary O’Brien, D/O Niamh O’Regan, Sub-Officer Siobhan Talbot, and Executive Fire Prevention officer Therese Tormey. Accompanying the “Ask a question” session, several posts were sent out highlighting these opportunities and the fact that gender does not play a factor in career development within DFB, one of which summed up the day, saying: “Women in a modern fire and emergency service is normal. The women of Dublin Fire Brigade inspire other women every day. This day is for you.”
AMONG THE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WERE:
THE FEMALE PRESENCE
International Women’s Day saw DFB’s female firefighters answer questions about their role on the frontline.
Does the DFB fitness training differ for women? Every potential recruit must pass a physical screening assessment. There is no distinction between male and female. What’s your experience working in a very male-dominated career? Positive! But it is nice to have a locker room for a few minutes of peace and quiet every so often! What’s the biggest challenge for a woman in the DFB? Eating healthy. We often eat in a rush or at random hours between calls. Thankfully there are gyms in the stations to counteract this in our downtime. Also, fart etiquette isn’t a thing anymore!
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