Push to reflect community
The changing face of emergency services in Southland hope to reflect diversity in the community.
Women in emergency services were celebrated at a Cuppa with a Coppa event, which aligned with the 125th anniversary of women’s suffrage yesterday.
Detective constable Mel Robertson said there was a long-term goal to have 50 per cent men and 50 per cent women nationally in the police force.
Currently, 21 per cent of people sworn into constabulary in New Zealand are women, and 20.8 percent in the Southern District.
The number is up on 10 years ago, when 17.2 per cent nationally were women and 15.2 per cent in the Southern District.
‘‘We’re slowly making progress,’’ Robertson said.
However, there was also a push to recruit diversity in other ways too, including ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation.
‘‘We’re heading in a really good direction. It’s a different way of policing in our generation.
‘‘Everybody brings a different perspective and different strengths.’’
Robertson believed those who protested for women’s rights paved the way for women like herself to work in the industry.
Senior firefighter Jodi McHugh is one of just three Invercargill firefighters who are women.
She believed it was important to bring diversity to the role, and with the changing nature of the role – including more medical calls – it was important to have a range of people on the forefront who could manage issues.
‘‘It creates a good balance at the station and keeps the men in line,’’ she said. ‘‘We can do the job as well as them.’’
McHugh felt lucky to have easily gotten into the job. The first female firefighter in New Zealand joined in 1981 and had to ‘‘go through massive hoops’’, she said.
Murihiku Ma¯ori Wardens team leader Mandy Reti said there were more women in her industry than in the past, but she would like to see diversity continue.
The Cuppa with a Coppa was also a good opportunity to answer questions from the public and break down barriers with emergency services staff. After about two years or planning, equipment is finally being installed at Invercargill’s Jump N Fun trampoline park.
Co-owner Robyn Smart said there was no planned opening date, but she hoped the attraction was open by the next school holidays.
The trampoline park, at the intersection of Nith and Tyne streets, has been in the works for the past two years.
The building was vandalised in May, but Smart said it wasn’t a big setback.
‘‘We’ve had a lot of delays with shipping and manufacturing,’’ she said.
‘‘We’ve got a lovely purposebuilt building for the trampoline park.’’
About $400,000 had gone into the venture, excluding labour, she said.
The park, which was previously going to be named Flip N Fun but needed to be changed, would have a range trampolines, including an Olympic trampoline, a dodgeball area, party rooms, arcade and video games, a foam pit, and a basketball area.
Family and friends had rallied together to support the venture and install equipment, Smart said.