Oxfordshire welcomes its first all-female fire crew in two decades
They all live locally, enabling them to quickly respond to calls from the station
For the first time in 20 years, an all-female fire crew in Oxfordshire is responding to emergencies, highlighting their achievements ahead of International Women’s Day on 8th March.
The team of five on-call firefighters, based in Abingdon, live locally, enabling them to quickly respond to calls from the station.
Emily Potter, a firefighter with Oxfordshire County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service and part of the crew, said they have worked hard to develop the necessary skills to form an all-female team.
The crew includes Potter and her colleagues Anastasia Osborne, Kayleigh Williams, Maria Alegria, and Karen Bellcourt, each juggling additional jobs alongside their firefighter responsibilities thanks to flexible shift patterns offered by the service.
Their chief fire officer, Rob MacDougall, emphasized the importance of diversity and equal opportunities within the service, noting the presence of 56 female operational firefighters in Oxfordshire.
Rebecca Rimmer, Watch Manager at Faringdon Fire Station, recalled being part of the first all-female crew two decades ago, expressing hope that the Abingdon team inspires more women to consider firefighting.