RACHELLE Smith was terrified of fires as a young girl; but this week she became the first female lieutenant in the history of Horsham Fire Brigade.
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Mrs Smith will now fight fires with a new epaulette on her shoulder and a sticker on her helmet to signify the new role.
She was elected the brigade's fourth lieutenant last month and commenced her new role on Monday.
Unfortunately for Mrs Smith, the only fight she took on during her first day was a pile of paperwork.
"It was a smooth-sailing day with no incidents," she said.
Mrs Smith said her father Bill Johnson was a member of the Horsham fire brigade.
She said it encouraged her to join as a junior member 20 years ago.
"I started turning up with him on Friday night socials and then proceeded to being the junior leader," she said.
"In 2010, I went on the challenge which is the leadership-style camp with the fire brigade where we go away for week.
"Prior to that, I had to no interest in it whatsoever. In August 2010, I did my minimum skills and got my qualifications to fight fires and go from there.
"The other reason I got my minimum skills is because I felt I was learning at the same rate as the juniors and I wanted to gain a little more knowledge to pass on to them, rather than learn at the same rate."
Mrs Smith went on to get her structural qualifications to fight fires and breathing apparatus and crew leader certifications.
She said she was also a casual paddock operator at the training ground.
Mrs Smith said current Horsham brigade captain John St Clair encouraged her to run for the position of fourth lieutenant.
"It wasn't an aim of mine. I didn't plan on running for anything but the captain had a talk with me and said, 'Look, you would be good for the role, would you consider doing it? - so I did'," she said.
Mrs Smith ran against six other people contesting the role.
"I was never guaranteed the position and it was little bit of a shock on the night to actually get it," she said.
Mrs Smith said due to her commitments to family and children, she wasn't able to attend brigade meetings regularly.
"It's a good feeling. I am hoping to give as much as I can to the brigade, to the members and to the community while advancing my skills and learning more about myself and the brigade," she said.
Mrs Smith will be honoured at the annual Horsham Fire Brigade dinner later this month. Members will be presented with awards. The new brigade management team members will be introduced and welcomed into the role for the next two years.
Mrs Smith has been awarded for her 15 years of service in the Country Fire Authority. By day, she has worked as the general manager of Carmans Windscreens for about 11 years.
She said there was a lack of female volunteers in the fire brigade.
Mrs Smith said with the time required to attain the qualifications and attend the fire brigade meetings, women often were unable to contribute because of family commitments.
She said this had resulted in a lesser number of women taking on operational roles at the fire brigade.
"You need to be in the brigade to learn enough about before you become a lieutenant," she said.
"Without the qualification, it's taken its time to actually get that far."
She said the female volunteers who did join the fire brigade were often more inclined towards joining the ladies auxiliary group, as opposed to being operational members.
"It's seen as a male-dominated industry. We have about 10 active female members at the moment," she said.
She said the brigade had three female members when she joined two decades ago.
She said specific training days were held to empower women.
"It's a very understanding organisation. They do hold, 'Women in CFA days'," she said.
She said some tasks were more challenging for women than men.
"Size and strength does come (into play) a little bit. I personally cannot do as much as some of the boys do with my size and strength, but members are very understanding," she said.
"People understand that everyone's capabilities are different. There are always ways around it, if it is something that is preventing someone from joining."
Mrs Smith said her family members helped her achieve success within the brigade.
She said her mother Judy Johnson was proud of what she had achieved.
"Quite often she has looked after the children while I have attended training," she said.
Mrs Smith said her four-year-old son George and 16-month-old daughter Macie were her biggest supporters.
"They are two of my biggest achievements. Watching them grow everyday and developing is amazing," she said.
Mrs Smith said she would continue fighting fires with the brigade as long as she could.
"I enjoy giving back to the community and educating community members on different aspects of what to do in case of a fire," she said.
"I hope that it inspires someone. I am not here to draw the attention to myself (but) if it means that more females wish to join, that is fantastic."
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