How ‘rufty tufty' heroes turn women off joining the brigade

Female firefighter warns image may hurt recruitment

- Danny Buckland

THEY MAY be a fun staple of glossy calendars, but the image of hunky firemen could be damaging recruitment to modern brigades.

A senior female firefighter believes the now familiar chiselled torsoes are putting women off a career in the fire service.

Only seven per cent of the nation’s 32,223 firefighters are women.

Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, West Sussex chief fire officer, wants to boost that number.

The Australian Firefighters Calendar, now in its 28th year, is the world’s most popular calendar, offering images of muscle-bound hunks wielding hoses and cuddling koalas.

But Ms Cohen-Hatton said: “The stereotype of a firefighter is so strong, and so pervasive, that many people who would be the best firefighters haven’t even thought about it, because that rufty-tufty stereotype is not appealing to them.”