East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service

Women in the Fire Service events

Why are we Holding Events About Women in East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service?

Take a moment to think back to your school days, or even earlier. Chances are that you would have learnt about 'Firemen' - what they do and how they help people in the community. Maybe these same 'Firemen' came to give a fire safety talk at the school?

There is no such thing as a 'Fireman'. The role of Firefighter has all too often been seen and spoken about in the past as a 'man's job'. As a result, we at East Sussex Fire & Rescue believe that many women have left school and grown up without even considering the Fire & Rescue Service as a career option.

Because of this, we want to make every effort to ensure that women will, at the very least, consider joining us for a meaningful career.

Are There Many Women Already Working for East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service?

There are currently a number of women at all levels within the Service, working as Wholetime (career) Firefighters, Retained Firefighters, Senior Officers, Support Staff and in our Mobilising and Communications Centre. However, women are still an under-represented group within the Firefighter community. This is something we are actively trying to address.

How has the Role of Firefighter Changed in the Past Few Years?

The past few years have seen a change of emphasis in the front line operational service. Previously, the main focus was on responding to incidents as they happen. While this of course remains a key priority for the Service, we are now committing more resources to preventing these incidents from happening in the first place. This has, in turn, changed the Firefighter's role and the skills needed to effectively do the job.

Being able to educate the wider community requires excellent communication skills and an ability to empathise with and understand the wide variety of cultures that go to make up the community of East Sussex.

Do I Need Superpowers?!

Another common misconception is that you need enormous strength and astronomical levels of fitness to become a Firefighter. While fitness and a degree of upper body strength are important, we are just as interested in your personal qualities, attributes and behaviours through the recruitment process. If you feel you need to work on your strength and fitness for the physical tests, we will be able to give you one to one advice and a 12-week programme in preparation.

If you feel you need to work on your strength and fitness for the physical tests, we will be able to give you one to one advice and a 12-week programme in preparation.

How Can I Get Further Information?

We will be running events with the aim of giving people an insight into what it is like being a woman in the Fire Service. These events are open to all and will focus on the experiences of women who have either made a career in the Service, or who have just embarked on a new role with us. If you are unable to make the events, contact us with your details and we can keep you up to date with event and recruitment information as it becomes available.

Women in the Fire Service Events

East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service will be holding a number of events to tell you what it's really like being a woman in the fire Service.

To register your interest in future events, please send an email to womensevent@esfrs.orgor tel: 01323 462828