Women-Only Open Days Aim to Increase Female Firefighter Numbers
Women currently represent fewer than 10% of full-time firefighters in Northern Ireland. To address this imbalance, the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) is hosting women-only open days designed to encourage more women to consider careers as front-line firefighters.
These come-and-try days provide a practical introduction to firefighting roles and allow participants to engage directly with female firefighters who share their personal experiences in the profession.
Over the last five years, the proportion of women in front-line firefighting roles has increased from 4.97% to 9.56%. The women-only events are believed to have contributed to this steady growth.
A series of these events is scheduled across multiple fire stations throughout June.
From Childhood Dream to Reality
The women-only open days are taking place at fire stations in Belfast, Londonderry, Omagh, Antrim, and Armagh. These events are part of the NIFRS Positive Action Campaign, which is outlined in its Equality Action Plan. The campaign's objective is to develop a workforce that more accurately reflects the communities it serves.
Ciara McGurk shared her lifelong aspiration to become a firefighter, which began with a primary school visit to a fire station.
"I just remember going to the fire station in Primary 2 and being amazed by all the firefighters," McGurk said.
"I actually came home and remember telling my mammy and daddy, 'I want to be a fireman when I grow up,' and they sort of laughed because, back then, they were just known as firemen. But that stuck with me."
Breaking Down Misconceptions
McGurk, who is from Derry, emphasized the importance of come-and-try days, noting that attending one helped her realize her goal of becoming a firefighter.
"I went to a come-and-try day in Armagh three years ago. I applied in 2024 and got in in 2025.
They are a great way to find out more and see whether it's a career you could pursue."
She acknowledged that some people may still perceive firefighting as a male-only profession, but she asserted that this is not the case.
"The number of women joining is great to see, and it's not surprising because it truly is the best job in the world."
Gillian Thompson and her 17-year-old daughter Grace attended a come-and-try day at Derry's Crescent Link fire station.
"We wanted to come down, have a look around the fire station and see what being part of the fire service involves," Gillian said.
"Grace is interested in becoming a firefighter, as is my daughter Hannah, and it's a great way to come and give things a go.
We got to put on the equipment, climb the ladders and pull a rescue dummy around, which was a lot heavier than it looks."
Grace explained that since she is under 18, her mother accompanied her, and they both enjoyed the experience.
"I loved speaking with the firefighters and finding out what they do in their daily jobs," she said.
"I liked the physical aspect of the job, especially climbing the ladder, but it's still a bit too early to tell whether it would be the right career for me."
Lisa Osuere, 54, who has been with the NIFRS for 18 years, expressed that she has wanted to be a firefighter since childhood.
"When I started working, it was mostly men," she said.
"In my career, you come across a lot of difficult situations, and I remember a few times coming across females in distress. Because I was a woman, they felt more reassured, and I was able to calm them down and deal with the incident at hand."
Michaela McGuigan, from County Tyrone, joined the fire service in 2020. She served as an on-call firefighter for six years before transitioning to a full-time role and has found the experience rewarding.
"I think because it is still, in a way, a male-dominated job, it can make some women a bit apprehensive about joining," she said.
"But definitely speak to some of the women in the job and these come-and-try days are a great way to speak to us first hand."
Female Firefighter Representation Across the UK
The underrepresentation of women in full-time firefighting roles is a common issue throughout the UK. Fire services in Scotland, England, and Wales have also implemented initiatives to increase female participation.
In England, women constitute 9.7% of full-time firefighters (3,310), up from 4.7% ten years ago. The London Fire Brigade reports that women make up 10.63% of operational staff and 19.49% of the overall workforce.
As of January 2026, women accounted for approximately 6% of Scotland's full-time operational firefighters (220 of 3,430). Across the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service workforce, women represent 14.6%.
In Wales, full-time firefighting remains predominantly male. Women comprise 11.3% of whole-time firefighters and 8.1% of on-call firefighters in mid and west Wales, while in north Wales, they account for 13% of operational firefighter roles.
Shantell Temple shared that a female family friend who is a firefighter inspired her interest, leading her to for a come-and-try day.
"I saw they were doing the come-and-try days and immediately signed up.
Hearing about the role from firefighters themselves is the best part of a day like this. You can tell from speaking to them that they really enjoy their work.
Anyone who spoke with them would want to apply afterwards. Every single one of them clearly loves it."
Shannon Dunne, a former Derry City football player, was drawn by the opportunity to experience a typical day as a firefighter.
"It's always been something I've been interested in, and the whole day has been really interesting.
Coming from a sporting background, any job that requires physical fitness was always going to appeal to me and, you never know, I could be a good fit one day."
