CASSANDRA Pilgrim joined the Kwinana Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service last April and says if she can do it, anyone can.
As a single mum of two boys aged seven and nine, Ms Pilgrim said she had the support systems in place to grab the opportunity to be a volunteer firefighter.
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READ NOW“I had always done something with the community,” she said. “Now was just the time.”
“There was a Facebook callout and I attended a meet and greet night, then went to training nights on Mondays.”
Probation training continued to 12 weeks and she has just experienced her first fire season.
The Service has two female volunteers based at Kwinana and Ms Pilgrim said her gender had never been a factor.
“It’s not about being a female,” she said.
“We’re one big family. I’ve been so welcomed, more than anywhere else previously.
“If it’s what you want to do, just give it a go,” she said in the lead up to International Women’s Day, which promotes gender balance.
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Ms Pilgrim said her work as an area manager in retail allowed her the flexibility to be a volunteer firefighter, and while her two boys were initially nervous about their mum’s involvement it was now something to brag to their friends about.
“They love it. It’s very exciting,” she said.
“At the beginning they were a bit frightened but the rest of the crew were fantastic.
“There’s a whole group of people that are going to make sure I’m ok.”
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