THE FEMALE PRESENCE

Having 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:

Does the DFB fitness training differ for women? Every potential recruit must pass a THE FEMALE 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 PRESENCE 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 International Women’s Day saw DFB’s female firefighters this in our downtime. Also, fart etiquette answer questions about their role on the frontline. isn’t a thing anymore!

Can you wear make-up and gel nails? We have a dress code and no, we can’t wear make-up or have long gel nails or polish while on duty. From a health and safety view they can tear medical gloves. But all bets are off on nights out (remember them)!

Are there many female ambulance or appliance drivers? Yes, maybe 20 or 30. Driving courses become available due to needs in your station or district.

Do you feel a lot of pressure to be just as good as or better than your male colleagues? I think it is hard not to feel pressure in any minority. You just have to get stuck in and prove yourself like any recruit, male or female, when you start.

What advice would you give a female hopefully heading into the next class of recruits? Keep training. Gotta be strong and fit going into recruit training. Swimming is also great for breathing apparatus preparation and crucial if you want to be a swift water rescue technician.

Did people ever look down on you when you said you were or wanted to be a firefighter? Nope! Not looked down on at all. Some people are surprised, but always impressed!

Some of the posts shared on social media promoting the roles of women in Dublin Fire Brigade