Oxfordshire deploys first all-female fire crew in 20 years

Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service has deployed an all-female on-call crew in Abingdon for the first time in two decades, marking a milestone for the service ahead of International Women’s Day [8 March].

The five firefighters, all based in Abingdon and living close to the station, are now able to crew a fire appliance together when required, a first for the county since an all-female team operated in Faringdon more than 20 years ago.

Local commitment enables milestone

Emily Potter, an engineer who has served as an on-call firefighter for more than seven years, said the achievement reflects a combination of training, availability and proximity to the station.

“For as long as I can remember we’ve had female on-call firefighters based in Abingdon, and across many of our other fire stations too,” she said. “What’s different now is that through a combination of training, availability and living locally, the five of us can crew a fire appliance together when needed.

“We’ve worked incredibly hard to gain the necessary skills so we can respond together as an all female crew. Our commitment shows just how capable and determined we are and we’re proud of what we’ve achieved together.”

Potter described the experience as empowering and said she hopes it will encourage more women to consider firefighting as a career.

The Abingdon station has 17 on-call firefighters in total — 12 men and five women — working alongside 12 full-time crew members, including two women.

Balancing frontline response with other careers

Like many on-call firefighters, the five crew members balance their emergency response duties with other professions, making themselves available at agreed times and responding from home or work when alerted.

Maria Alegria, who has nearly four years’ service, works at London Oxford Airport. Kayleigh Williams, a photographer and mother of two, has served for three years. Anastasia Osborne has been in post for nearly two years and is also a firefighter at RAF Brize Norton. Karen Bellcourt, a student health and safety adviser at Abingdon and Witney College and a mother of three, has served for more than four years.

Bellcourt said the flexibility of the on-call model, combined with employer support, makes the role viable.

“Being able to respond from my primary employment, close to the fire station, makes being an on-call firefighter achievable for me, and the flexibility and support of my employer is brilliant,” she said.

“Working alongside my female colleagues as part of the wider Abingdon crew is both an honour and a privilege. Through supporting our community and one another, we live the spirit of ‘give to gain,’ proving that when we step forward and give, we all grow stronger together.”

On-call firefighters undertake a wide range of duties in their communities, from attending emergency incidents to delivering prevention advice aimed at reducing risk and saving lives. The service offers flexible shift patterns designed to fit around work, study and family commitments.

A sign of progress for the service

Rob MacDougall, Chief Fire Officer for Oxfordshire County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service, said the development highlights the organisation’s ongoing commitment to inclusion.

“As we mark International Women’s Day, it’s especially important to recognise the dedication of the Abingdon crew and our commitment to equal opportunities across our fire and rescue service. We now have 56 female operational firefighters in Oxfordshire,” he said.

He added that the service has “come a long way” since the first all-female crew operated in Faringdon two decades ago.

“Our crew at Abingdon Fire Station is a brilliant example of what can be achieved when we embrace diversity and promote inclusivity,” he said, encouraging applications from anyone with the right attributes.

Rebecca Rimmer, Watch Manager at Faringdon Fire Station and a member of the county’s first all-female crew, said the earlier team had felt like breaking through a glass ceiling.

“Twenty years ago, being in that groundbreaking all female crew based at Faringdon felt like breaking through a glass ceiling,” she said. “We had to go that extra mile to prove we were just as capable as the men in dealing with the daily physical and mental challenges the role entails.

“It’s taken longer than I expected to see another all-female crew in place, but we’ve got there and now I hope the Abingdon team will inspire more women to consider a role as an on-call firefighter.”

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