Dräger co-hosts Women in the Fire Service UK partnership event

No fewer than 46 delegates from across 16 Fire and Rescue Services, Hazardous Area Response Teams and National Ambulance Resilience Units took part in a number of presentations and workshops, while also being able to test the latest Dräger safety technology and find out how the company is designing equipment that meets the requirements of an increasingly diverse workforce in the Fire and Rescue Services.

Dräger’s PSS AirBoss, Type 4 Nano Cylinder, HPS Safeguard and UCF FireCore were some of the technologies on display, with delegates able to experience using the new Arwain firefighter tracking and location technology for the first time.

Keynote speakers from Salford University, the East Midlands fire investigation dog team, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue and Draeger Safety UK discussed the impacts of heat stress, firefighter physiology, nutrition and fitness, focusing in particular on how engineering design is a safety-critical issue in respect of workforce diversity. These issues can only be supported by new technologies.

Another subject area addressed on the day was the health and well-being of firefighters. There was also a workshop offering an introduction to incident command.

Encouraging representation

Elizabeth Milward, marketing manager at Draeger Safety UK, asserted: “Providing an environment in which to further and encourage female representation in the Fire and Rescue Service, and highlighting women’s achievements in what is an ‘historically’ male-dominated industry, is crucial if we are to achieve gender equality.”

Milward added: “We were delighted to co-host the event with Women in the Fire Service UK and thank the team at South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue for playing such a big part in its success.”

Women in the Fire Service UK is a self-help group dedicated to enabling and inspiring confident and successful women to build a more progressive career within the Fire and Rescue Service. Since its formation, the membership has sought to influence the equality agenda, taking active roles in research, supporting positive action initiatives, working with the Government on nationwide campaigns targeting recruitment and playing a part in national groups with other stakeholders.

*Further information about Dräger and its products for the fire sector can be accessed online at www.draeger.com/en_uk/

*For additional detail concerning Women in the Fire Service UK visit https://wfs.org.uk/