‘The older guys were careful of how they treated me’
SAMMIE MOODIE, 33, IS A FIREFIGHTER FROM SOUTH LONDON
My first big rescue was at an industrial warehouse fire. There were more than 50 firefighters on the scene and a volume of flames I’d only ever seen before on training videos. I was tasked with rescuing two men right at the back of the blaze.
There were gas cylinders that could pop off and explosions occurring as I passed the fire to reach them, so I had to work quickly. When I got the men to safety, they started taking selfies with me. They were blissfully unaware of how much danger they’d just been in, but I was happy to smile for them.
I’ve wanted to be a firefighter since I was in my mid teens, but it’s been a long road to get here. There was a lot of training, revising, and rejection and it required patience, but on my third application and well over a decade later, I made it.
My dream began to take shape at a job fair when I took part in the firefighter simulation on offer and enjoyed the whole experience. I was convinced it was what
I was meant to do. On that day I met seven other women who also wanted to go for it. We started a Whatsapp group that’s still active to this day. We’ve all supported and encouraged each other and five of us have gone into the profession.
If it wasn’t for the kinship we felt that day I may not have even become a firefighter. It was a text in that group that informed me the applications were open again in 2019 while I was working at my local gym. I put my application in just hours before the deadline.
I was quite lucky there were four women out of 14 in my training group, but there were also quite a few young guys who had a lot of testosterone and big egos. I naturally found myself mothering them.
BEST WOMAN FOR THE JOB
When I started working at my station I noticed the older guys were quite careful about how they treated me and what they said. I joined just before the Black Lives Matter movement really started, so they were conscious of the fact I was a black woman. They still don’t want to get anything wrong and are always open to learning from me. I appreciate them taking it all seriously.
A lot of my job involves educating people about fire safety. The most common cause for the fires we attend is an electrical fault, including using cheap chargers overnight and overloading sockets, so we advise people on how to use gadgets safely.
Obviously, another side of the job is rescues and yes, I have saved a cat. It was stuck up scaffolding, not in a tree though!
I’ve also come to the rescue of a woman who was in a bit of a mess because she was scared and she lost control of her bowels. In that situation, she really needed a female who was going to be sensitive and discreet. I’ve found elderly people and women feel more comfortable talking to me than a man – perhaps I appear more approachable. Children are often bemused by me when I visit schools, especially as I have red hair. The most famous firefighter is probably Fireman Sam, who’s a white man. It’s not just women who are underrepresented, it’s non-white people.
The brigade is moving in the right direction but it’s going to take time. If young people don’t see anybody who looks like them in a certain role, it’s harder for them to aspire to that job. I have a six-year-old son who loves telling everybody what his mum does, so he’s helping me on my mission to educate. My whole family is proud of me for reaching this point in my career – my grandma even came over from Jamaica to attend my graduation!
the theme for international women’s day 2022 is #breakthebias. for more information See internationalwomensday.com