Trailblazer in her own right: deputy fire captain inspires next generation

When Ms Ahrens first joined up, she was the only woman in the brigade. Through her advocacy work, she has since encouraged another two women to join the seven-person unit.

Now, the Walcha fire brigade, in NSW, has the highest ratio of females in the North West.

The single mother of three said it's been great to see more women hop in the fire truck.

"It is still a very male-dominated job, but at the same time we are creeping the numbers up," she said.

"When I first started, it was all men, even those who came from other stations, it was all men. But now, we have two women here at the moment and more going through the recruitment process."

The stereotype of firefighting being a 'man's job' still lingers in the community, but that is starting to change too.

"I turn up to a job and they say, 'Hey boys!', then they look around and see that there are some women in there too," she said.

"Some people assume that females aren't as strong as men or as capable, but we are. We all have to go through the same recruitment, physical aptitude test, and training.

"I love having other women here who are so keen and ready to learn."

The Walcha brigade's ratio of four men to three women is not very common but Superintendent Tom Cooper, Fire and Rescue NSW New England North West zone commander, said there has been an increase in female recruitment across the board.

"It encourages diversity of thinking, and the fire brigade should reflect that community," he said.

"If we have these little towns where the male-to-female population is equal, we want as many women as there is men."

Mr Cooper said Ms Ahrens has become a role model in her community and the wider region.

"She has always been quite astute at her job, and the Walcha captain enjoyed her applying for the deputy role. There were a number of applicants, but she earned that role on merit," he said.

"And that enabled her to go out and drum up more female applicants, and she is a great example with three children. If she is able to do it, so can they."

Ms Ahrens always dreamed of becoming a firefighter, and even unintentionally followed in her family's footsteps.

"My great grandfather was a permanent firefighter down in Sydney, and I often wonder what he would think of the shift towards more female firefighters, as that wouldn't have been an option back then," she said.

But, since taking up the helmet, Ms Ahrens has made the role her own.

She was asked if she would be interested in driving the local school bus.

"The bus company had seen me drive a fire truck and asked if I would like to drive a school bus as well," she said.

"It is one of those funny things you see in small towns."

Through her advocacy and work with the firies, Ms Ahrens' eldest daughter now also wants to follow in her footsteps.

"They have gotten to the same point as me; as the pager goes off, they are into it too," she said.

"They are always keen to know what I went to or what happened in the day. But it is really nice because my girls often tell me how proud of me they are.

"I have the best daughters in the world."

As for Ms Ahrens, she said she just loves showing her daughters that there are no boundaries to what a woman can be.