Inspiring more women to join airport fire services

In 2012, Vanessa Miles joined the fire and rescue service. She was the first woman to do so at London Biggin Hill Airport. She talks to me about why 14 years on and now the station manager, she still loves the job and encourages other women to shake off any doubt about applying to be a firefighter and just go for it.

I met Vanessa at the Airport Fire Officers Association conference in Gatwick Airport earlier this year. I go to many conferences where most delegates are men but, in this case, I could count the number of women in the room on two hands. That’s why Vanessa stood out and why I wanted to find out more about her career in airport firefighting and how to encourage more women to apply.

Joining the service as an airport firefighter in 2012, Vanessa was the first female firefighter to serve at London Biggin Hill Airport. She talks about the value of giving young women work experience, as she did at the airport prior to joining as a firefighter, because it provides an insight into a career that may not be well known. “I was really interested in joining the army,” she recalls but after three days with the fire service, she was hooked. “Absolutely everyone was so nice to me, and I loved that the job was different every day.”

So, what sets an airport fire and rescue service apart from other fire services? Its focus is, inevitably, the aircraft, where they learn about its construction and its fuel. She says the fire engines are bigger because they have to carry more foam and more water. They can’t rely on a hydrant on a street corner, although they do have nine across the airfield to provide access to vital water supplies.

Just 12 miles from the centre of the capital, London Biggin Hill is the only dedicated business aviation airport in London and home to over 70 commercial and aerospace companies. The airport serves a variety of aircraft types including business jets, helicopters, flight training and heritage aircraft. The airport’s fire and rescue service is delivered by a team of thirty staff across three watches, providing a uniquely varied and rewarding environment for fire and rescue personnel.

Vanessa says that while airport firefighters do all the traditional routines for a fire and rescue service including checking equipment, testing vehicles, training, exercising and responding to callouts, they do much more.

“We conduct thorough airfield inspections, assessing runway and taxiway surfaces, airfield lighting systems, and pavement markings to ensure the airport is safe and fully operational for flight operations. Upon completion of the inspection, we liaise with Air Traffic Control to confirm the airfield status, formally hand over operational responsibility, and then return to the fire station.”

And if it’s really cold, firefighters will de-ice aircraft too. That’s just the morning routine. Vanessa expands on the activities:

“Our responsibilities include supporting aerodrome safety through continuous airfield patrols, with team members rotating on two-hour shifts to monitor wildlife activity, identify potential hazards, and maintain a safe operating environment. We also support security operations by conducting passenger and baggage screening. In addition, we assist with aircraft marshalling activities and provide ground handling support, including the loading of baggage onto aircraft.”

While local fire and rescue services can expect to be inspected by HMICFRS, for airport fire and rescue services, the Civil Aviation Authority is the regulator. Every year, it inspects the firefighters’ training records and looks for evidence of the maintenance of competence.

“We were one of the first airports to bring in systems to decontaminate our firefighters’ equipment and PPE,” she explains. Committed to upholding the highest standards of health and safety of its firefighters, London Biggin Hill Airport’s fire and rescue service uses special washing machines for its breathing apparatus (BA).

It has also introduced the Sentinel 300 system. Vanessa explains: “This is in our BA room and in our one of our trucks, and what it does is make the airborne particles heavy and drop, so then you can just wipe them away, meaning they don’t stay in the air longer than necessary.” Other services have shown an interest in this approach and Vanessa is keen to share their learning.

She continues by explaining that this is just one part of their commitment to removing risk and references the work that John Lord has done to raise awareness in this space. She adds that London Biggin Hill Airport also provides optional PSA tests for men and mammograms for women as part of their firefighter medicals.

We finish off our chat by talking about what can be done to encourage more women to do the job she so clearly loves. She pauses and then says. “Don’t think that you need to prove yourself to anyone because you don’t. Because it’s a male orientated job, it can be intimidating for women. I’m often the only woman in the room. But honestly, everyone I’ve ever met has always been supportive for me and pushed me to do better.”

This article is part of #SheServesToo, our campaign celebrating the stories of women across the emergency services. #SheServesToo is proudly supported by PBI. Find out more about PBI and its work here. If you have a story to share, get in touch with the EST team.

Vanessa will be on a panel at The Emergency Services Show on 17 September. “Lessons in leadership: breaking the glass ceiling” will be chaired by Lanna Deamer on the People and Skills stage. Register to attend here.