Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – 5 women joined the Brussels fire brigade, raising the total to 17 out of 1,100. Ans Persoons and Colonel Tanguy praised this progress in gender diversity and updated training.
As VRT News reported, the Brussels fire department is making progress in including more women. 5 women just finished training, making the total number of female firefighters 17. There are about 1,100 firefighters total. They mentioned that this is a big step because women only make up about 1% of the force.
The department worked hard to remove obstacles that kept women from joining. They ran special programs to find female recruits, updated facilities like changing rooms, and made sure the hiring process was fair.
What does the rise of women mean for the Brussels fire brigade?
Ans Persoons, who works for urban planning, says the fire department’s progress is part of a bigger change. She says the department has worked on changing how people think. They are getting rid of old ideas about men’s and women’s jobs.
Persoons admits there is still more to do to make the fire department diverse. But, she says the recent success shows it’s possible to fix problems. The new female recruits are a result of this work and a reason to keep going. She said they have removed the obstacles and are starting to see results, so they must keep trying.
According to Ans Persoons, this is the first time Brussels recruits have had “tunnel fire” training in Switzerland and “soft skills” training. The tunnel fire training prepares firefighters for dangerous situations like fires in tunnels.
He mentioned that this training gives the recruits special skills. They also had soft skills training, which teaches them how to communicate, work in teams, and handle emotions. This training helps them interact with people in tough situations.
The head of the Brussels fire brigade, Colonel Tanguy du Bus de Warnaffe, says the recruits and training show a big change. He says that when women join, they change things. He sees this as proof that the fire service can change while still being brave and helpful. He mentioned that welcoming 5 new women is a sign that the Brussels fire brigade wants to improve its skills and values.
