Women are integral to the Blackheath/Mount Victoria Brigade.
They are involved in all aspects of the brigade from trainees to frontline firefighters, community engagement roles and administration, to field officers and the executive.
Women make up 37 per cent of the brigade's active membership, 30 per cent of its field officers and 33 per cent of the executive.
But the statistics are only a tiny part of the brigade's story.
"Our women brigade members, and in fact all our brigade come from a great diversity of backgrounds, both personal and professional. It is this richness of perspectives that makes the whole team," said brigade president, Anna Gertsen.
Gill Fitzgerald is a trainee with the brigade, preparing for her bush firefighter assessment in April along with five other trainees.
"Bush firefighting is a completely new space for me and it is challenging at times. I really appreciate how well supported we are by our instructors and how every mistake is turned into a learning opportunity for the whole team," she said.
Whether leading the brigade, running a strike team, driving the trucks or bowling hoses on a training day, we are extraordinary together, said Ms Gertsen.
