“I’ve been a firefighter since March 2014. I have a lot of motivation at work because all the call-outs are different, and I don’t end up in a spiral where every shift is the same. It’s always different and it’s motivating to adapt your way of working to each call-out.
And I gain experience from every call-out. My superiors, who have years of experience, are always the first to show me new rescue techniques, for example, or to give advice so that I am more comfortable during an intervention. I’m inspired by people who can manage to stay calm during difficult interventions and they have taught me how to do the same.
The most rewarding part of my job is succeeding to work in a team and helping people. The physical side of being a firefighter isn’t more difficult for a woman than for a man. I train every day and my physical condition is just as good as a man’s. But perhaps the hardest thing is to integrate into a world that is primarily male.
I can say that I only started sport intensively when I became a firefighter, because I felt the need to be fit and to gain significant strength so that I can accomplish all the missions that the firefighters carry out.
To be a firefighter, you need to be able to stay calm, to be able to analyse situations and to be in good physical condition.”