Supporting women in the Service
Only 14% of our staff are female. We know this number needs to change. We want it to change.
We recognise that society hasn’t always given everyone equal opportunities. But we’re committed to making sure the Service is an inclusive, supportive workplace for women.
We want women to feel encouraged and empowered to join the Service, supported with their application, and throughout their time with us.
Supporting your application
Our Have A Go days are open to potential applicants, and allow you to come and ask questions and test out some of the practical tasks you’ll have to do as part of your role.
We know that the fitness part of the application process can be daunting. Our recruitment fitness sessions for female applicants are dedicated spaces for women to test out the exercises in preparation for the real thing.
We’ve also put together a handy eight-week exercise schedule (https://www.dsfire.gov.uk/your-exercise-schedule) for both men and women, so you can get in the best possible shape before your fitness test.
Women's network
We want to break down the barriers that women have traditionally faced in a male-dominated workplace.
Our women’s network is a safe place for women to come together to share experiences, learn, mentor and inspire each other. We’ll continue to create a healthy, balanced and respectful environment so that every woman feels valued and supported.
The network is affiliated with the national organisation Women in the Fire Service (https://wfs.org.uk/), and we also have a menopause working group.
Women in the Fire Service also run free future firefighter events (https://wfs.org.uk/future-firefighter-programme/) designed for people who dream of being a firefighter but need some help and advice to take the next steps.