Spike in women applying to become firefighters

The current recruitment period for firefighters closes in 12 days.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand is hailing a spike in the number of women applying to become firefighters.

"With 12 days to go till the current round of recruitment closes, 75 women have completed applications to enter our recruitment pool," Fire and Emergency Recruitment Manager Rochelle Martin says.

"That's the highest number we've ever had, but we'd like to see even more women putting their names forward.

"Presently only four per cent of firefighters are female. Women bring a different and valuable set of skills and attributes to the job and we're keen to increase their number."

With 434 applications already in, total applications are also on track to be the highest ever for a single recruitment round.

Rochelle says the interest in the roles is a reflection of the high regard in which firefighters are held and the variety and challenges of a job in which no two days are the same.

Once applications close, applicants will be interviewed and put through physical and cognitive tests.

Successful applicants do three months training at Fire and Emergency's National Training Centre in Rotorua before beginning their careers as firefighters.

Each course has places for 24 recruits.

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1 comment

Please explain

Posted on 08-08-2018 17:26 | By Slim Shady

The job is the job. It requires a set of prescribed skills does it not? And if you have those skills you can do it, regardless of sex. So what are these “different skills” that women are bringing? I’d like to know so that, as a man, I can try to improve myself. I’d like to have those skills as well. If I could have my skills and their skills, imagine how skilled I’d be. I feel held back and inadequate now. Not fair.


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