Female firefighter in Abingdon stands up to social media backlash
Emily Potter hopes to change perceptions about women in the fire service
A firefighter in Oxfordshire has spoken out after her all-female crew at Abingdon Fire Station received negative comments on social media.
The five on-call firefighters were recently featured in an article marking the first time in 20 years that an all-female crew in the county could respond together on a fire engine.
The story, shared ahead of International Women’s Day, was widely praised – but also attracted criticism online.
Emily Potter, one of the on-call firefighters, said people often claim that they are physically unable to perform the role.
“A lot of the social media comments and the backlash we get being women in this job is: ‘You can’t lift a man down the stairs’, ‘you can’t rescue someone’, ‘you’re weaker’, ‘you’re not capable’,” she said.
“To see that is quite disappointing and I’d hate for other women to see it and think, ‘Oh well, I must not be capable.’ We’re living proof that we are.”
Emily emphasised that all firefighters must meet the same standards, regardless of gender.
“We pass the same tests as the guys. The fitness standards are the same for every firefighter in the brigade,” she said.
“There’s no special treatment because we’re women. We all train the same, we have the same capabilities.”
The Abingdon crew – Emily Potter, Anastasia Osborne, Kayleigh Williams, Maria Alegria and Karen Bellcourt – form part of the wider on-call watch at the station.
Overall, the station has 17 on-call firefighters and 12 full-time crew members.
Emily said being part of the five-woman team is something she feels proud of.
“The women I work with day-to-day are outstanding examples of firefighters,” she said.
She added that some members of the crew are also mothers, highlighting the additional responsibilities many women balance alongside emergency service roles.
“There is a societal pressure for women to take on more responsibilities at home, particularly with childcare,” she said.
“But what the crew have demonstrated is that these things can exist alongside a career as a firefighter.”
Despite the criticism online, she said speaking publicly about the crew’s milestone is an opportunity to confront outdated views.
“If we don’t stand up and challenge this then it will continue to be the status quo,” she said.
Emily added that ultimately, the crew let their actions speak for their abilities.
“When our pagers go off for an emergency, we’ll turn up and help anybody who needs it. We’ll rescue people, give first aid, put out fires and do it as professionally as anyone else.”
Following the negativity online, Oxfordshire Fire & Rescue Service posted a statement on social media which read: "Misogyny, sexism and abuse have no place in our service. Evert colleague deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, and we will always stand by our people.
"All our colleagues should be treated with the same respect, by each other and the communities we serve.
"We ask that anyone commenting on our page follow the same principles."