Source: ChronicleLive
Laura Maguire, who recently became a member of the Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, aims to inspire more women to join as well.
Regardless of the fact that the program was physically challenging, she and her new colleagues are glad to be dispelling the stigma of the male-dominated profession.
Back on Land
It’s never easy to start a new career, particularly when your previous one required you to travel to some of world’s most beautiful destinations.
Laura Maguire, a former flight attendant from Ryton, discovered a new lifesaving career after she was forced to be grounded due to the lockdown.
She went on to say that her jet-setting life on aircrafts and her current work as a firefighter had more in common than people could ever think.
Laura finished a 12-week development program and joined Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) after passing written, oral, and practical assessments.
She’s one among six female recruits out of 32 who completed an arduous training program that included putting out flames, rescuing victims of vehicle accidents, and utilizing a variety of specialized equipment.
Despite the fact that women were still in the minority in her generation, the ratio represents an improvement over the overall picture in England’s fire service, where just 7% of firefighters are female.
Laura now urged other women to consider a career in lifesaving.
She served as a cabin crew member for 17 years.
“I’d done it for 17 years and I wanted a job on the ground that I could be proud of and help the community.”
“I’ve always had a passion for helping people and believe it or not there are a lot of transferable skills between this role in the fire service and my role as cabin crew.”
Laura formed “friends for life” throughout her training, and praised the other women in her group saying,
“It’s nice to have the other women going through a similar thing on the course even though we are from so many different backgrounds.”
As new positions are offered, Lynsey McVay, the first female Assistant Chief Fire Officer at TWFRS, reiterated Laura’s urge for more women to join the department.
She stated,
“This recruitment drive is one of the biggest we’ve had in years and it’s great to see so many women in this cohort.”
“We hope people like Laura can help inspire other women to consider a role as a firefighter. It is a mentally and physically tough training course but there is nothing here that a woman can’t do.”
TWFRS is hiring for a variety of operational and corporate positions, check out their website if you’re considering a career shift.
Now it's your turn:
Leave a comment on our Facebook page to let us know what you think. Follow and click the "Like" button below.
