Tipp Fire Chief welcomes women's service
Chairperson of the Chief Fire Officers' Association and Tipperary Chief Fire Officer Dave Carroll has welcomed the offical launch of the Women's Fire Service Network.
Inclusivity, integration and improved gender balance in the Irish Fire Service was central to the 62nd Chief Fire Officers’ Association’s Annual Conference held in Monaghan on Thursday and Friday, May 8th and 9th. Currently just 2.5% of the country’s firefighters are women, an imbalance the CFOA and the newly formed Women’s Fire Service Network (WFSN) are keen to address.
On May 8th, the Women’s Fire Service Network was officially launched in the presence of the conference’s guest speaker, London Fire Brigade Commissioner Dany Cotton, one of the most senior fire officers in Europe. Commissioner Cotton addressed the conference on 'Advancing the role of women in the Fire Service'.
Speaking ahead of the conference, Mr Carroll said: “Equality and diversity in the workplace has made significant progress in recent years, and the Irish Fire Service has a role to play in dealing with the challenges to deliver the changes demanded by our society. I am therefore delighted that the official launch of the Women’s Fire Service Network will take place at this year’s CFOA Annual Conference.”
Vice Chairperson of the CFOA and Kildare Chief Fire Officer Celina Barrett said the aims of the WFSN reflect many of the objectives of the fire service as it moves to ensure a culture of inclusivity, integration and diversity.
Chief Barrett stated: “There is no physical barrier to women joining the Irish fire service and it is a very rewarding career in so many ways, yet the numbers joining remain small.”
The aims of the Women’s Fire Service Network are to encourage fire services to actively promote diversity and gender equality; improve health and wellbeing for all within the fire services; make the fire service a more visible and attractive work option for women; share knowledge and experience to progress women in the fire service and encourage the next generation of firefighters.