Fire Service seeking more females

THE Northern Ireland Fire Service (NIFRS) will host a ‘women-only’ open day in Omagh to try and increase the number of female firefighters.

This open recruitment day will be a part of a series of firefighter ‘Come and Try Days’ tailored to women who are thinking about becoming firefighters.

These events will be held before a Wholetime (full-time) Firefighter recruitment process is launched, and will give women the opportunity to experience what the job involves, ask questions and find out more information about a career as a firefighter.

The Omagh event will be held at Omagh Fire Station on Saturday, September 16.

NIFRS Area Commander, Suzanne Fleming said, “This is a really exciting opportunity for any woman who has ever thought about a career as a firefighter.

“No two days are ever the same, as an emergency service, we attend various types of incidents including house fires, road traffic collisions, and educating the community on fire safety.

“I joined NIFRS 22 years ago and I have loved every minute of it. It is demanding and challenging but it is so rewarding to know that you are making a real difference. If you want to climb a different kind of career ladder by supporting your community there is a role here for you.

“We continue to see the number of female firefighters increase and currently just over 6% of our firefighters are women.

“We want to dispel some of the misconceptions women may have about firefighting as a career. These events will allow you to meet firefighters, and hear first-hand what the job involves.”