irefighters turn up to put out

When firefighters turn up to put out a fire, traditionally people expect them to be men. However underneath the protective clothing, helmet and visor, there are more and more women. One such woman is Kath Webb, who joined the fire service in 2008 and is now in charge of a team of firefighters at her local station. When she became Crew Manager following a promotion, she was the first female to do so in the whole of her region. One reason for the increase in female firefighters is a change in the job requirements. There is more emphasis on communication skills nowadays, with fire officers spending a large part of their day educating the community about fire prevention. " We visit residents and explain how to prevent fires in the first place, ' says Kath. " Nevertheless, many women are being put off the profession by the 24 - hour - a - day commitment expected of firefighters. " Everyone needs flexible working arrangements within their job, " explains Women's Liaison Officer, Ruth Ward. " Family - friendly working hours would attract more women to the profession because they could have their career as well as a family life. " Base 34 is a new garage in Montpellier, in the south of France. Customers who take their cars there for repairs may be surprised to find that all the employees are women. When Herve Malige advertised for women who wanted to become mechanics, he received 120 applications. After tests and interviews, he chose fifteen. They included a nurse, a secretary, a beauty therapist and two flight attendants. They all wanted a chance to work in this traditionally male environment. " I think a lot of people instinctively trust women more, " he says. " And female customers might feel more comfortable with somebody who doesn't treat them as if they don't understand anything! " Although most car mechanics are still men, the situation is gradually changing. Men are starting to leave the profession, and women are joining it. Why? In a word, technology. In the past, being a mechanic was a physically tough and dirty job. Now, cars are much more complicated than they used to be. You need patience and intelligence to work out what the problem is, not strength. Many people believe that this makes the job more suitable for women than for men. Question. New cars require mechanics to spend more time