To coincide with International Women’s Day, Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) has announced a series of Have a Go events aimed at encouraging more women to consider a career as a firefighter.
Although women make up a significant proportion of support and Control roles, they are under-represented in operational roles and RBFRS would like more women to apply so that its workforce can better reflect the community they serve.
The events will be run at Whitley Wood Training Centre in April, May and June and will provide a range of fire service activities for potential applicants to take part in.
The events will include a tour of the fire station and an opportunity to try physical and written tests similar to those they would need to perform during recruitment and training. Our firefighters and fitness advisors will also all be on hand to offer advice and support.
It is hoped that by providing an overview of the recruitment process and support, more women will consider applying to become either wholetime or on-call firefighters. Although the recruitment window is not currently open for wholetime firefighters, it is expected that in the coming months there will be opportunities to apply for the role.
Lorraine Sullivan, Resourcing and Development Manager said: “We’re proud of the work of all our firefighters – regardless of gender – but like many other services, women are under-represented in operational roles.
“We believe there are potential barriers which may be deterring female applicants from applying for this hugely rewarding role. By organising these events, we are hoping to tackle common misconceptions and give everyone the opportunity to try the role for themselves.”
Watch this video to hear the experiences of some of our current female firefighters.
The female focussed Have a Go events will be held on the following dates:
- 27 April 2019, Whitley Wood Training Centre, Reading
- 25 May 2019, Whitley Wood Training Centre, Reading
- 29 June 2019, Whitley Wood Training Centre, Reading
Each event has a maximum capacity, and places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. To register please email recruitment@rbfrs.co.uk and further information, including timings for the events will be provided.
Alternatively, all applicants can attend Have a Go events on the following dates:
- 9 March 2019, Pangbourne Fire Station.
- 6 April 2019, Hungerford Fire Station.
- 18 May 2019, Maidenhead Fire Station.
- 8 June 2019, Mortimer Fire Station.
- 27 July 2019, Lambourn Fire Station.
- 21 September 2019, Wargrave Fire Station.
- 16 November 2019, Wargrave Fire Station.
- 7 December 2019, Hungerford Fire Station.