South Wales Fire and Rescue Service hosts first ever Women in the Fire Service (WFS) Cymru event
Over 100 delegates from fire and rescue services across Wales attended the two-day event held for the first time at Cardiff Gate Training and Development Centre between 18th-19th October.
From climbing aboard a blue-light convoy driven through the streets of Cardiff to trying out rope rescue abseiling techniques, operational and corporate staff members were invited to try a wealth of firefighting-related activities and attend seminars featuring topics such as menopause awareness, cultural change and female empowerment.
Originating from the self-help group Networking Women in the Fire Service (NWFS), set up in the 1990s, the volunteer-led, non-profit organisation evolved into Women in the Fire Service (WFS) with the aim of empowering women, advancing equality and tackling serious issues of the time, from lack of facilities and ill-fitting uniform, to bullying and harassment.
WFS Chair, Jules King, said: “I have worked in the FS for over 20 years and things are much more positive for women across the sector now. It is just amazing to see the energy up and down the country that these WFS events create that allow people to come out of their comfort zones and become more confident.
The first day began with team building exercises and demonstrations of kit and equipment from Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams., Delegates were able to learn about the range of drones being trialled that are helping to reduce risk for Firefighters and enhance survivability rates for missing and injured casualties across wider search areas.
They also had the opportunity to meet four-year old Cooper – a Belgian Malinois cross labrador, widely recognised as one of the UK’s best USAR dogs, who demonstrated his aptitude for locating people and objects around the drill yard.
Hands-on sessions including advanced trauma and road traffic collision scenarios also enabled attendees to rescue, treat, and extract casualties, using a vast array of specialist equipment.
South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (SWFRS) On-Call Firefighter, Ffion Jenkins, said: “The advanced trauma scenarios with actors playing real life casualties have been fantastic – I’ve never been in situation like this, so it’s given me insight for what’s to come in my career and really good experience for later development. It has really boosted my confidence.”
Fire Control and Fire Scene Investigation personnel gave insights into their roles with real-life calls and case examples, and Firefighter fit exercise sessions enabled attendees to work up an appetite before reconvening for an evening of networking at the Village Hotel.
Guests heard from Antarctic Fire Angel duo Georgina Gilbert and Rebecca Openshaw-Rowe – two female Firefighters who completed the 1230-kilometre expedition to the South Pole in order to change the narrative of what it means ‘to be a girl’ in the Fire Service – as well as Dany Cotton QFSM, London Fire Brigade’s first female Commissioner.
Discussing imposter syndrome and sharing difficult experiences of what it was like to be a female after joining the Fire Service in 1985, Dani credits the NWFRS network as the reason for her staying in an organisation that proved so unwelcoming for women – which, at the time, had a gender imbalance of around 30:9000.
NWFRS Firefighter, Rebecca Brent, said: “There’s such a wealth of knowledge and experience here and it’s been nice to integrate, socialise and make new friends.
“Everyone has been so friendly and approachable and it’s good to know you’re not alone with some of the unhelpful barriers that do still exist, but now I know how you can go about tackling those barriers.
Whilst the idea of entering a burning building seems incomprehensible to many people, the experience of being up close and personal to a fire that reached around 650 degrees proved to be a highlight for a number of delegates.
SWFRS HR Officer, Sarah Griffiths, said: “The professionalism of the instructors has been great, and I felt safe going into the building.
“Being so close to a fire and realising the impact the smoke and heat has on your senses was an incredible experience, but I felt confident with the equipment, and it left me wanting to do more – I would recommend this event to everyone!”
Closing speeches from organiser, Group Manager Lauren Jones, and Interim CFO of SWFRS, Stuart Millington, remarked on the overwhelming success of the two days and reflected on the significant milestone the inaugural Cymru event marked.