Trailblazing

Until 1981, the Fire Brigades Act stipulated that only men could be employed as firefighters in (the then) New South Wales Fire Brigades (NSWFB). In 1982, Dr Kristine Klugman became the first woman appointed to the NSWFB's governing body, the Board of Fire Commissioners. From the time of her appointment, Dr. Klugman assertively advocated for women's recruitment. However, it was only after she personally demonstrated to the Board that a woman could pass the Brigades' Physical Aptitude Test, that women were invited to apply. And so, in 1985, the first women commenced their training as 'permanent' firefighters at the Brigades' State Training College in Alexandria, Sydney. Now, 40 years later, approximately 12% of firefighters are female in Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW).
In 2020, Assistant Commissioner Cheryl Steer set out to record the history of female firefighters in Fire and Rescue NSW. This book details not only how these women came to join the organisation, their challenges, contributions and stories, but also the experiences of many other women who were 'firsts' - whether that be by date of commencement, achievement, or cultural influence.
Their first-hand accounts of the challenges they faced, the changes they witnessed and their hopes for the future, are powerful and inspiring.

In 2020, a dedicated group of FRNSW staff embarked on a project to research and record the history of the first women employed as firefighters with FRNSW (known then as the NSW Fire Brigades). Senior Project Manager Kerrie Kent volunteered to be the project manager in the initiation stages, formalising the concept by undertaking project planning, scoping and governance maturity. Project approval was granted, and a passionate project team was formed. Station Officer Sandyn Collins, Station Officer Peta Miller, Acting Superintendent Belinda Hooker, and Senior Project Manager Chrissy Strickland offered to help locate the 'firsts' and interview them to obtain their stories. Belinda McMartin, CEO Museum of Fire, became our historical author collecting the early histories of women in firefighting pre1985 and locating historical photos.Cheryl appointed Chrissy Strickland as the project lead, which evolved into her authoring the majority of the book. The stories they collected and those who generously told them were vital to this important milestone in the Brigade's history.