In Case of Emergency: Break Glass

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY: BREAK GLASS Caitlin Bolt

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY: BREAK GLASS Women of the Emergency Services in Wales

by Caitlin Bolt

2020 was a year like no other. Life changed beyond our imagination and we heard the word ‘frontline’ most days. It was in this frantic and restricted new existence that I encountered twenty incredible women with one thing in common: they stand as strong females in the male dominated world of the emergency services.

The idea for this book was sparked by my inherent desire to empower women.

I wanted to capture the images of women in a range of roles that tend to be associated with masculinity, showing that man or women can excel in the job they choose. No gender should be put in a box. I set out to identify the roles women play in our emergency services today but ended up meeting an amazing group of women who demonstrate the confidence and courage which inspires a generation of young women as they make life choices without limits, stepping away from the stereotypes which still face women as we continue to strive for true equality.

The stories I learned exceeded my expectations, from a flight officer who spends her spare time volunteering, to all of the mums devoting their time to caring for others and extremely brave people who dive straight into fire and other hazardous conditions. I truly met such a range of personalities and found what I knew to be true; that gender doesn’t define a person or their career. These women are working their dream jobs and find every day rewarding. While the outside perspective may be that women don’t belong in physically challenging roles, the people I met were perfect fits and the camaraderie in the workplace and encouragement given by their male counterparts pleasantly surprised me.

Covid may have changed our lives in so many ways, but 2020, although there is still a way to go in closing the gender pay gap and in inhabiting the highest paid jobs in our country, will also be remembered for the strides made for women’s rights and equality globally. In the year that the US elected its first female vice-president, that two women’s international football teams achieved the same pay as their male equivalents, and two women were awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry, I pay tribute to the heroes challenging perceptions and empowering women to follow the paths they choose and take those top jobs. In sharing their stories with me, these strong, confident and successful women reassure the public that, although they are in a minority, they are every bit as capable of reflecting the communities they serve.

Sarah, HART Paramedic “Knowing that I can make a difference in someone’s life- even a small one- still gives me a huge sense of satisfaction and reward” Sarah has been in the ambulance service for 23 years, she qualified as a paramedic in 2002 and became a HART Team Leader since its inception in 2021. The Hazardous Area response team gives medical care to patients in dangerous conditions, so that they can be given immediate care. This could include but is not limited to chemical environments, fires, in water and at height.

Sarah has always been an outdoors person and loves meeting new people. The job allows her to be active and experience new situations and challenges. Working as a part of a team is something that she thrives in, especially one so highly skilled. Knowing that she has made even a small difference in someone’s life gives her a huge sense of satisfaction and reward, even after 23 years.

Kath, Tactical Flight Officer and RNLI Volunteer “Find something you love doing and you’ll never feel like you’re working” After a career in the Air Force, Kath wanted a career that also involved public security near her hometown in Cardiff. She didn’t want to sit in an office, or behind a desk, but to explore and be ‘out and about’. Policing, for her, was the ‘natural answer’.

Kath loves flying and considers herself lucky to be paid to fly across ‘the beautiful South Wales countryside’ while also having the opportunity to save lives.

In her spare time, Kath volunteers for the RNLI, she values the skills that she has learned through this training, skills which transfer into her career as a tactical flight officer.

Alison, Cardiac Intensive Care Nurse “Proud to be a part of a highly skilled team” As a ‘Junior Sister’ in Cardiac Intensive Care, Alison takes care of patients after undergoing open heart surgery: cardiac bypass and valve surgery. Although the last year has been ‘extremely challenging’ due to COVID-19, Alison feels ‘extremely proud to be a part of a highly skilled team’. For her, the job is about improving the patient’s quality of life, following a high risk, intense surgery.

Over the past year, Alison has spent her free time pottering in the garden, tsking part in a book club and walking her friend’s dog, she says it would be unfair to have a dog of her own due to busy shift patterns. Alison can’t wait to catch up with her friends for coffee and take a trip to the cinema when life goes back to normal.

Cara, Firefighter “If there’s a fire, I’m always first in” Cara has always wanted to be a part of the fire service.

She is a self-proclaimed ‘tomboy’ who loves the physically challenging aspects of the role. Cara thinks of herself as lucky to be in the service and loves every part of the job, particularly the comradery between the crew. She says that working within the community is so ‘rewarding’, especially being able to help people.

Cara is athletic and outdoorsy, she’s big on sea activities and has even represented Wales in the Commonwealth Surf Lifesaving Championships and European Surf Championships. She has also found the time to complete the Iron Man. Aside from a lot of fitness, Cara is a mum of two and a grandmother of two as well as her French bulldog, Coco.

Beth, RSO Trainee “I love to be able to do something different and unexpected”

The Resillience and Specialist Operations Team work closely with HART to provide care for patients in dangerous conditions. As a trainee Beth does standard paramedic training in hazmat suits, and other kits. The risk brings adrenaline that Beth enjoys, but her favourite part of the job is working within the local communities, meeting people and being able to aid them. She is a bright and bubbly to her core and smiles like a ray of sunshine.

Ellie-Rose, Student Paramedic and RNLI Volunteer

“high risk but high reward” Ellie-Rose has been volunteering for the RNLI for just over two years. As someone who has always wanted to help people, she is also a student paramedic in her first year. Ellie-Rose joined the RNLI spontaneously, she said she “walked up to someone one day and asked when training days are, and next thing you know I’m joining”.

She finds the adrenaline of both the RNLI and paramedic training exciting; the risk is fun but there’s also a high reward. The ability to help someone when they need it the most is an achievement that Ellie-Rose has always wanted and now through work and volunteering she reaches her goal most days.

Sarah, HART Paramedic “The main thrill is having the potential to save someone” Sarah has recently been promoted to team leader for HART. The hight kit is her favourite as she enjoys climbing, especially at risky hights. But the main thrill of the job for Sarah is contributing in the saving of someone in a life or death situation. Before moving to the Hazourdous Area Response Team, Sarah was an on-road paramedic. Since the establishment of HART in 2012 Sarah decided to join as it enables her to be in unusual situations, to have new experiences again and again and to keep fit and active. Being able to help people on site, where they used to have to be taken to hospital makes an amazing difference in the care for patients.

Liv, Navy Reserve and RNLI Volunteer “I’ve always loved the sea, and I’ve always loved helping people” Liv joined the Navy because she was ‘bored of the everyday’, and being in the reserves allows her to do out of the ordinary things whilst keeping her normal job. Liv has a love for the sea and she wanted to combine that with her love of helping people and her fascination with the emergency services. That is why she also volunteers for the RNLI, it is a perfect combination. Liv says the RNLI is ‘really special’ as it is prominent on coasts across the UK. Whilst helping others you can also learn and build up skills more and more over time.

Louise, Firefighter “Helping people within the community is the most rewarding thing, if you can make a change to an outcome of somebody living or dying.”

Louise had always had two dream careers; teaching P.E. and fighting fires. She has been lucky enough to achieve both. After teaching for seven years, Louise saw a recruitment ad for the fire service and thought ‘it’s now or never’. As a little girl, she remembers her father who was also a firefighter telling stories and says she had an interest from a young age, every time a fire truck went past. She followed in her father’s footsteps 15 years ago and has never looked back.

Louise is also a mum to a young daughter, she laughed as she showed me a glitter tattoo on her arm and told me all about her daughter.

Ruth, Station Enquiry Officer “Knowing that I am contributing to keeping the people in my community safe brings a smile to my face every day” As a Station Enquiry Officer, Ruth has a variety of roles in the police force. Day to day she deals with a load of administration from simply answering questions and providing advice to the public to complex handlings of a variety of crimes. Ruth has a broad knowlegde of many crimes and policing issues.

She enjoys communicating with the public and knowing that she is contributing to keeping the community safe.

Ruth has worked for the police since 2004, before which she was in the airline industry.

Jen, RNLI Volunteer “It’s nice to give something back to the community” Jen had an aunt who died with three other friends out on a yacht many years ago, before Jen was born. This story inspired her to join the RNLI as she wanted to be able to help someone that may be in a similar situation to that of her aunt. The RNLI also meant that Jen could learn how to keep herself safe at sea. In the RNLI there is a great community. Jen says there is ‘banter and fun as well as serious times’ which is a great variety and it is an opportunity to be outdoors and keep active whilst looking after others.

Megan, Firefighter “I almost find it scarier when the bells don’t go”

Megan knew she was going to be in the police force, the fire service or the ambulance service since she was little.

She wanted an ‘action’ based job. After leaving the army, she wanted to go straight into the fire service and luckily got in the first time. She considers herself lucky to have landed the role. As Megan is coming up to her first year, she is in training and she finds it exciting not knowing what she is going into every time the bells go.

Being in the Army, Meg didn’t used to be home much, so her family are thankful to have her back. Outside of fighting fires, Meg likes to road bike, rock climb and keep active in the gym.

Cathryn, HART Paramedic “As long as I’m helping and making a difference in someone’s life, that’s all I can do.”

Cath has been in the service for 15 years. She worked as an Emergency Medical technician before progressing to a Paramedic and says she never looked back. Cath is an active and sporty person by nature, so she was drawn the service. The Hazardous Area Response team has a big variety of challenges and potential scenarios, which has given Cath much more experience, it enables her to help people in all sorts of environments.

Although the job may not always be pleasant and easy, Cath feels she is in the perfect job. She is content as long as she is able to help and make a difference in people’s lives. With a great team and uncertain routine, Cath feels that she is in the perfect job.

Rhian, Police Constable “every day is different and brings new challenges and experiences”

Rhian chose to work in the police force as she wanted and active job. She says she ‘couldn’t have imagined being stuck permanently in an office. She works as a Police Constable on response, meaning she is frontline dealing with a variety of incidents across the community. Like others, the unpredictability of the job excites Rhian. She enjoys experiencing new challenges with each day.

At home, Rhian is kept busy with her two young children, and spends her spare time running and socialising which she looks forward to when it is possible.

Rosie, Firefighter “Firefighting has always been a passion, from the very beginning” Rosie has always wanted to be a firefighter. The main reason was that is that she has wanted to serve others. Rosie knew she would be in the public service but firefighting, for her was a “passion from the very beginning”. Rosie had difficulty getting into the service at first, but after ten years of applying and waiting for the opportunity, she finally made it. She is now coming up to her one-year assessment. Following that, she has another year of probation, after which she will be a fully confident firefighter. She calls herself ‘brand new’ and still finds herself with an adrenaline rush every time the bells go and a job comes up, she says its so unpredictable for her as she is so new.

Jess, Police Community Support Officer “I love getting to spend time with the community”

Jess is a PCSO in Swansea. The job allows her to spend time with the community, getting know them and building rapports while she educates and supports people, and keeps the community safe. Before joining the force, Jess had a variety of jobs since she was 16, getting a degree in Marketing Management and working in insurance.

Outside of work she is a cinema fanatic and a foodie. She likes to keep active and go for long walks.

Jacqueline, Firefighter “You never know what you are going to do next; no two days are the same” Jackie joined the fire cadets as a volunteer, as her daughter was a cadet. Through that she was recruited to join the service. She is drawn to the uncertainty of the job, no two days are the same. Being able to help people is very rewarding for Jackie, the experience of having someone so grateful for her help is a highlight.

Jackie is an outdoors person at heart and loves any outdoors activities. She also manages to run a successful DIY business called LADY D.I.Y. As her daughter, Sophie is now 18 she is in the application process of joining the fire service, if she is successful, Jackie and Sophie will be the only mother and daughter both in the service throughout the whole UK.

Lucy, HART Paramedic “I love to be able to give people some pain relief and see them relax” Lucy thrives in a team, the way she interacts with her team mates oozes confidence and contentment. She loves that the team can have a laugh in times at the base. Most of the job involves training and that is most of what Lucy has done so far, she she is new to the job, being with HART for only six months, but had been a paramedic for seven years before that. There is rigourous training, which takes up most of the job. Coming up to her first assessment, Lucy is still excited by each new scenario. She will be fully qualified soon and can’t wait to be able to be more independent and work completely efficiently.

Trudi, Temporary Chief Superintendent of Swansea Police “Proud to oversee a policing service that keeps local communities safe” Trudi has worked for the police for 22 years. She is now the acting Chief Superintendent for the Swansea and Neath Port Talbot area, leading a large and complex area of command, across operational policing, community safety, CID, Intelligence and Public Protection. Trudi works very closely with and across collaborations, partnerships and locally leads the development of culture, working practises, ensuring standards are adhered to, promoting accountability and continuous improvement.

She also hold the role of crisis negotiator, helping people in crisis and is a nationally trained strategic firearms commander. She is proud to oversee a policing service that keeps local communities safe.

As a mother of three children and a granddaughter, Trudi doesn’t have much spare time, but when she does she likes to spend it exercising and keeping active.

Katy, Junior Doctor “I love to spend time with and be able to take care of patients” Katy is a junior doctor, in her final year of training.

She has worked this year in A&E and paediatrics and is currently working in mental health. She is looking forward to being able to specialise, Katy wants to work full time in A&E when she has finished training and becomes fully qualified.

She thrives spending time with and caring for patients.

Once she has finished training, Katy hopes to be able to travel to Australia and work there as a doctor for a while.