Hull Daily Mail from Hull, Humberside, England • 13

HULL DAILY MAIL FRIDAY MARCH 9 1990 County seeks more female firefighters Axminster An Investment In Luxury Flashback to the days when Christine underwent her training with fellow recruit Ray Pearce Choose From he Largest Stocks Of Axminsters In Humberside And Take Advantage Of Half Price Underlay Christine blazes trail for women BUCKINGHAM Traditional Axminster 80 wool 20 nylon Heavy domestic quality wide £24--" SPECIAL PURCHASE Jmm SQYD DARTMOOR 100 wool berber Heavy domestic quality wide 74-9 9 SPECIAL ORDER PRICE £2899 7 SQYD ROYALTY Patterned Axminster 80 wool 20 nylon Heavy domestic quality wide £20" SPECIAL ORDER PRICE £2299 Christine Bradley a woman in a world? HUMBERSIDE FIRE Brigade has launched a drive to recruit female firefighters Mail reporter AMANDA STOREY spoke to the only woman in the brigade and discovered that there are positive advantages in recruiting females to the force NEW moves are being made in Humberside to encourage more female firefighters for at the moment the county has just one part-time firewoman Christine Bradley is 36 and has two daughters Julie (18) and Angela (12) For three years she has been fighting fires in and around Howden Although she was too old for full-time service for which the age limit is 18-30 Christine was still encouraged by a friend in the Brigade who knew Humberside was looking to recruit more women reasons for joining the Fire service are not uncommon After a divorce she had Financial difficulties and herself feeling at a loose Spy When she joined the service Christine almost felt like a in the camp" because the only women in the Fire Brigade were control girls lot of men know how to treat women in this sort of situation There aie still the odd one or two who just want men in but overall treated very Part-time Fire Fighters do the same basic training as full-timers but it is not as intensiveThey go away for block rather than full weeks and usually attend refresher courses throughout the year Christine Finds working part-time has its beneFits TORBAY Traditional Axminster 100 wool pile Heavy domestic quality wide 1 099 SPECIAL ORDER PRICE £2199 JL SQYD REGINA Traditional Axminster 40 wool 40 viscose 20 nylon wide SPECIAL PURCHASE I 77 A SQYD HALF PRICE UNDERLAY On carpet orders over £500 and £999 sq yd USUALLY £250 sq yd FREE FITTING Estimating And Measuring Free fitting applies to selected carpet orders over £250 Ask in store for details no time for Christine who admits there is a family feeling" among the crew closer in a way because we go through so much together" Christine feels a woman automatically relates to people in times of grief do have compassion but when it comes to comforting a woman has a more calming influence She recognises the anxiety felt when a child is involved especially if she has had children The Fire Brigade paid for show that 1 could do it worked too hard to say: it give it young women who want a career it is a really good thing but be prepared Christine who also hopes with more females in the Brigade there could be a uniform think you are a man so much They stick you in a laughed not saying we want to be different but something a bit more tailored than a pair of trousers and Doc Marten boots would be She can live at home rather than at the- station She is back home the youngest comes home from She covers for 18 hours a day seven days a week and a bleeper alerts her to a Family All the crew meet on Thursday evenings when they are given lectures and equipment training is the only time we see each other if we had any shouts and even then when at a Fire you just get on with the job so there is Christine to take the HGV test which she passed in July After six months of assessment she is now a light a term used for someone allowed to drive on an emergency call Demands The demands on a woman are exactly the same as they are for a man although a woman has to work harder Christine said it was her drive in the end that helped her carry on wanted to Illustration representative only Items subject to availability AlLDERS OF HULL TEL: 0482 24 153 ALL TOGETHER A BETTER CHOICE.