Fire Woman: The Extraordinary Story of Britain's First Female Firefighter

When Josephine Reynolds signed up with the Norfolk Fire Service in July 1982 at just 17 years old, there was no such thing as a firefighter—only fire men. Set against the slate-grey backdrop of early 1980s Britain, Fire Woman is the story of how a young woman brought up in rural Wales coped in the testosterone-fueled world of the fire brigade, where even today 96 per cent of all staff are male. In a life packed with incident—where lethal forest fires, escaped zoo animals, and unexploded bombs formed a background to the everyday toll of death and disaster—Josephine experienced both triumph and heartbreaking personal tragedy. Fire Woman also provides a unique insight into the camaraderie that comes with risking your life on a daily basis and stands as the inspiring true story of an extraordinary young woman who took on a man’s world and won, becoming Britain's first full-time firefighter.