29 April 2008 - Service Appoints Two New Outreach Officers
Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service (LBFRS) have appointed two Outreach Officers to connect with women and people from black and ethnic minorities in the community, who could potentially be excellent Firefighters.
The Service is the first in Scotland, and one of very few in the UK, to appoint Firefighters as Outreach Officers. Building on existing achievements and in response to recommendations made by Audit Scotland to expand this work, Lynne Gow and Ludwig Ramsay have been tasked with opening the Service up to those in the community who may never have realised the opportunities available, or the need for the Fire Service to reflect the community it serves.
Lynne, who has served as a Firefighter for Lothian and Borders for ten years and was a Watch Manager before being seconded to the new post, said “We need to do more to increase the range of applications from across all sections of the community.
“I began my career 10 years ago when only a handful of women were in the service. The role of a Firefighter differs greatly 10 years on, and many women who have families don’t realise the shift patterns can be family – friendly.
“We spend a substantial amount of our working day conducting Community Fire Safety initiatives as well as attending emergencies. However, we do train extensively for all the different types of emergency that we may respond to including domestic and industrial fires, rescues of people and animals who may be trapped, working with businesses to ensure fire precautions are suitable and we protect people, property and the environment from the effects of hazardous substances.”
Lud, also a Watch Manager, is seconded from Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service and has previous success in a similar role down south. He is aiming to reach out to the black and minority ethnic community. He said “A common reaction to positive action is to ask why we are helping people from these backgrounds above others to become Firefighters. The answer is simple - we are not. We are simply promoting the opportunities, raising awareness and giving them the knowledge that the Service is open and receptive to them, as it is to all others.
“By providing this knowledge and helping to build people’s confidence we will hopefully see a rise in the number of applications during recruitment from people of black and minority ethnic backgrounds. The successful applicants will reflect the multicultural society we live in and help improve community safety, by connecting with groups of people who for whatever reason, such as language, religion or culture, are more difficult to reach out to.”
Mike Bridgman, Convener of Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Board added, “There is no shortage of excellent candidates during recruitment for Firefighters, these thousands of applications are generally from white men, who naturally consider firefighting as a career, but there is a shortfall of representation of minorities. It is important for all our public services that they reflect the make-up of the Society that they serve, and the Board supports LBFRS in taking this positive step in raising the awareness amongst minority groups that a career in the Fire and Rescue Service is a valid, vital, and potentially achievable, aspiration.”
LBFRS has a workforce of 1060 Firefighters, 56 are women and 14 are from Black and Minority Ethnic communities.
It is anticipated the next recruitment drive will start in June, and Lynne and Lud have organised a number of positive action open days, aimed at women and people from black and minority ethnic groups. There will also be a general open day open to all, details of which will be added to the Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service website in the future.
If you are female or from a black or minority ethnic background and are interested in attending a positive action open day, or would like to speak to Lynne or Lud about the job, email positiveaction@lbfire.org.uk
Enquiries: Aileen Hope, Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service
Tel. 0131 228 2401
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