The Oxfordshire County Council fire service announced its first all-female fire crew in 20 years on 3 March 2026. Based in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, the team of five responds to local emergencies while balancing their duties with other full-time jobs.
The crew consists of Emily Potter, Anastasia Osborne, Kayleigh Williams, Maria Alegria, and Karen Bellcourt. These firefighters work in roles such as engineering and health and safety, and they must live or work within minutes of the station to respond when an alarm sounds.
The last time a full female crew served together in the county was around 2006 at the station in Faringdon. Since then, the number of women working in front-line fire roles in the area has grown from 32 in 2017 to 56 today.
Chief Fire Officer Rob MacDougall said the new team is a breakthrough that may encourage more people to apply for roles in the future. According to data from the Home Office, women made up just over nine per cent of the fire workforce in England in 2024.
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