by AFAC

4, October 2023

The Champions of Change Fire and Emergency Group was established in 2017, with support from AFAC as the National Council for fire and emergency services in Australia and New Zealand.

The Group includes organisations located throughout metropolitan, rural and regional communities across Australia and New Zealand, and includes 29 Members who lead some 280,000 employees and volunteers. Members are focused on advancing gender equality, women in leadership and professional, respectful and inclusive workplaces within and across the fire and emergency sector.

A particular priority for the Champions of Change Fire and Emergency Group is building the representation of women in frontline service delivery positions which can serve as a critical pathway to leadership positions in the sector.

Growing the talent pool

Barriers to women entering and progressing their careers in the fire and emergency sector persist, particularly in frontline roles. Over the last year, the Champions of Change Fire and Emergency Group has continued to identify barriers in recruitment, promotion and career advancement processes and worked towards removing these barriers. The following case studies share the experience of fire and emergency service personnel taking action to grow the sector’s talent pool.

Liane Henderson
Bushfire Safety Officer, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services

“...Ultimately, we are creating a culture where you can feel safe to speak up and respected for your opinion, even when it may be different from others.”

Liane has been part of the fire service for over 23 years, starting out as a volunteer in her local rural fire service. Being both a volunteer and a staff member has provided Liane with many opportunities to give back to the community and build her career.

“Working within a very supportive team, amongst diverse people, colleagues, volunteers, stakeholders and community members is a very rewarding part of my current role. Having a role in the fire sector is a real passion of mine. Ten years ago, I was fortunate to participate in a volunteering leadership program which kickstarted my professional career in fire.”

Liane has held many roles over the past ten years at QFES and had various role models and mentors, both men and women. Now Liane is mentoring other women “I feel very privileged to be supporting our young women. It can be hard being a women firefighter. Some women still experience sexism which makes them feel like they don’t belong. I do believe we are coming to a crossroads now with what people find acceptable behaviour. I can see a shift with more younger women calling out inappropriate behaviour. It’s good to see them empowered and not just putting up with it.”

From Liane’s perspective, a contributing factor to this shift has been the introduction of the Gender Equity Advisory Group (GEAG). “The GEAG is one of the most significant initiatives I have seen in my ten years. We have had great discussions in the workshops, and you also hear it in the corridors and meetings, how everyone wants to create a safe and inclusive environment. Prior to this there was no safe place to discuss gendered issues. The visible support from the Commissioner has really had an impact.”

An area Liane believes needs attention is the lack of women career firefighters coming through the recruitment process. “We need to understand what the barriers are, including in the rural areas. I hope the work in the GEAG will evolve our approach, resulting in a greater diversity of people and perspective.”

Wayne Phillips
Assistant Commissioner, Corporate, ACT Emergency Services Agency

“We need to remember that all the simple things add up, such as who is represented in leadership positions, focusing less on years and more on merit for progression, communication matters and focusing on people before process. I am driven to create an environment where women feel more included and safer at work and ultimately part of the team.”

Wayne Phillips has had extensive experience in the fire and emergency sector with 32 years at Fire and Rescue NSW and more recently at ACT Emergency Services Agency. As someone who has worked in operations and now in the corporate side, Wayne has made gender equality in the workplace both a personal and collective goal.

When it comes to workplace equality, Wayne is determined to see more women at all levels. His commitment to challenge and change includes personal initiatives such as “Women Leading @ Fire and Rescue NSW” a six-month leadership program designed to increase women’s representation in the pipeline.

“There is still a lot of work to do. If we want to create inclusive environments, we need to achieve gender diversity. The culture I grew up with was to keep silent, this is changing. There are men who are supportive. It’s about encouraging self-reflection on their behaviour, communication, even body language and doing it differently – using more inclusive language, less command and control, acknowledging and respecting your peers.”

Wayne was awarded the WAFA Male Champion award in 2020 recognised for mentoring and coaching women, actively promoting an inclusive work environment for women across the industry.

“Any avenue I get to talk about gender diversity I will. I will always ask about gender representation, advocate for their inclusion and consciously invite women in. I like to support the women in the service. If I see a leadership or learning opportunity I will forward it on, encourage women in their career.”

There are several key areas that Wayne believes need further review including the recruitment process. “The biggest solution for gender equality is at the start of the conveyor belt. We need to review recruitment practices and the inherent physical requirements for the role. It needs some rethinking because women just simply aren’t applying.” Another concern is the workplace support and opportunities for women due to parental leave.

“We need to provide women with worthwhile work when they are pregnant and return from parental leave. In addition, how we can support those on parental leave to update their skills and knowledge to continue their progression. Their career could be on hold for years and when they return, they are playing catch-up which is even harder if they are wanting to work part-time.”

These profiles feature in the Champions of Change Fire and Emergency Group 2022 Progress Report. The report provides transparency and accountability for the individual and collective actions taken by Member organisations to accelerate gender equality. See the full report online: https://championsofchangecoalition.org/resource/champions-of-change-fire-and-emergency-2022-progress-report/