Jane: Louise, you’re a Crew Manager (an officer) in Avon Fire and Rescue Service. Regular readers know that my husband was a firefighter. He joined in the days when women were considered far too delicate to be in the service. Eventually he did have a female on his watch. He was a great supporter but not everyone was…
What prompted you to join the service?
Louise – The fire service wasn’t a childhood dream or anything. To be honest it wasn’t on my radar as a job option growing up. I first thought about it when I was near the end of my second year at university. I was at the University of Northampton studying Drama and Theatre Studies. I’d started the course with visions of being a lighting technician.
In my second year I got a job as a lighting technician at the local theatre (Royal and Derngate). I soon realised that although I enjoyed it, it wasn’t the career I wanted. My Dad suggested I made a list of things I enjoyed. Including all my skills and things I wanted from a job. My older sister looked at it at some point and suggested firefighting. So that was when I first considered it.
When I say considered it, I mean kept it in the back of my mind. Also, from that list I considered being a stunt actor. At Uni I also worked as a Police role player (I have been arrested lots!) and a drama teacher. From graduating I lived in Manchester for a time and waitressed. I was a life model for art classes and volunteered at Manchester Cathedral.
Fast forward and I was living in High Wycombe. I was juggling 3 jobs (care work, shop assistant and on a customer care line), and for one of the jobs I had to drive past a fire station. There was a banner outside that they were recruiting and I thought “why not?” I applied not really knowing what to expect and then heard that I was invited to an interview.
I had the interview, passed and was invited for written exams. Then I was invited to a practical test, which I passed. And so it went on over 6 months. Each stage I went thinking I’d just see what it was about, not expecting that I would pass, and each time I would get a letter a few weeks later inviting me to the next stage. From day one in training school, I knew that this was the job for me. I spent 7 years in my old fire service before transferring to Avon in 2021.
So, a random bag of jobs and experience.
Wow, that’s some career path! How many women now are in the brigade? Have they finally designed uniforms to fit the female form? (N.B.I was thrilled when women came in as Bath fire station finally got a women’s loo.)
If I remember rightly when I first joined a different Service in 2014, I was one of 9 female firefighters out of about 400 operational firefighters. I haven’t got the most accuratstats for now, but in 2023 in Avon out of 600 firefighters 46 were female. The National Average is 9.3% as of last year. So still pretty low!
Excitingly though as of this January I am half of an all-female watch management team and we have a female firefighter on the watch. So out of 7 of us on the watch there are 3 females. This is a first for Avon and for me, so I find it quite exciting.
Yes, after lots of campaigning from my female colleagues who came before me there is now female fit uniform! Both fire kit and the day to day working rig. I have also checked and the testing forthe female fire kit was done using a female mannequin, which is great. I’ve occasionally discussed this with my male counterparts. It never ceases to amaze me how oblivious they are why there is a need for that as “surely we are all the same.” I point out to them that women’s bodies have different parts that need protection compared to male bodies.
This may be a tricky question to answer but obviously there is still a level of misogyny in the brigade. I know you have a new Chief Officer who seems committed to equality, but I guess there are still some old diehards out there who haven’t caught up. You’re an officer in charge of a watch. How do you manage the old guard?
Ah the dinosaurs! If I’m being honest in my old Service. I handled them badly. I would say that I was not very self-assured. I wanted to be liked so was walked over by them. I just counted down the shifts until they retired. Now is a very different story.
To be fair, in Avon I haven’t met many. I’ve found the way to handle is to question them, get them to talk through their views and keep asking why they think that.
Half the time the opinions are a hang up from what their dinosaurs have passed to them, rather than opinions based on first-hand experience. I keep digging and ask for their experiences and sharing mine. It may sound ridiculous but by having open conversations, you can remind them that you are an individual person and not a concept (ie female firefighter). Then you can break through the barriers they put up and show them that you are capable and human.
I have noticed as time goes on there is a shift in acceptance. There was a 7/8 year freeze in recruitment across most fire services in the country. That had embedded a lot of outdated opinions. As Services have reopened recruitment more younger are people joining. There has been a change for the better and a decrease in the harmful attitudes that were prevalent.
Where did you grow up? What were you like in school, did you enjoy it? And did you have a dream about being a firefighter?
I grew up in Bristol. My Primary school (Beacon Rise) had a big fire in one of the buildings when I was there. I remember crying because I couldn’t go to school for a couple of weeks. Although I did well, I was not the teachers’ pet. I think the worst thing I did in school was climb on the roof to get a ball down. This resulted in me being marched into the deputy head’s office for a telling off. When the suspension letter arrived at home it had my twin’s name on it, but I had already confessed all to my mum. She knew it was me and went straight to school and let rip. We were both let off.
Away from work, how do you relax and unwind?
I read. I also enjoy doing jigsaw puzzles, cross stitching and playing board games. I am definitely an introvert! An ex housemate used to call me a 70 year old stuck in a 20 year old’s body. I do enjoy spending time with friends and trying new things. That said, I’m most relaxed sat under a blanket in my library with a cup of tea reading.
Oh yes, that library. I am so envious!
We all stand on the shoulders of those pioneering women who went before us. Whose shoulders are you standing on? Who is your role model and mentor, someone you admire?
Definitely my Gran. She is the kindest, loveliest person I know and her outlook on life is just great. She likes to take something from each day; something to be grateful for or something new that she has learned. She is just lush. She was a child during the war so has a make do and mend attitude. She’s taught me not to take things for granted.
My mum also encouraged me to try new things and sign up to everything. When I was younger my sisters and I did ballet, circus maniacs, gymnastics, a little bit of tap, brownies, air cadets, netball, rounders and, rugby to name a few things. I have kept that drive and am always willing to try out new things both at work and at home. I do have to reign myself in sometimes as I can put myself forward for too much but if I have the capacity I will try.
I know you’re an avid reader and bibliophile. Which book has had the most influence on you. And which author are you happy to read again and again?
There are three books that if ever I get into a reading slump I will read one of them and it will get me back into loving reading:
Sabriel by Garth Nix
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale.
All children’s/young adult books but my favourite growing up and they just make me smile. Not forgetting Terry Pratchett! I love Discworld and wish I lived there!
A book I read years ago that still think about is The Power of Rude by Rebecca Reid. I wish that book had been published when I was in my 20’s and I wish that I had read it then. It is a fabulous read. I hope that in years to come it will be seen as a “wow were things really like that for women?” If you are struggling with assertiveness it is worth a read.
I’m currently reading the second part of a trilogy by Natasha Ngan called Girls of Storm and Shadow. It is a fantasy and the world and characters are rich and gripping. It explores trauma, endurance and recovery.
Is there a woman from history (or literature) that you would love to have known and why?
Elisabeth I. I think she is an absolute force of nature. I love Tudor history. It blows my mind that at a time when women were very much the property of men, she managed to be a Queen in her own right and do things her way. Her life must have been quite scary and lonely at times; I would love to hear her story.
If you could have an alternative career, anything you want, what would it be?
Tough question! I really don’t know… maybe something to do with animals like a care home/retirement home for animals. Do such things exist? Will probably need to win the lottery first!
Louise, thank you so much. You have the honour (?) of being the ast inspirational woman I have interviewed. Thank you and here’s to your continued success.
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Posted on June 4th, 2026 by Jane
