Women firefighters have been recognised for their contributions to the Woodend CFA during its annual anniversary awards dinner.
Woodend CFA celebrated its 129th anniversary recently, with four of the top six awards of the night going to women.
The Member of the Year, voted by members of the Brigade Management Team for those who have gone above and beyond during the year, went to Cara Nolan.
The Captain’s Award was presented to 2nd Lieutenant Sue Hobbs for her commitment to the brigade, her work in the Brigade Management Team, her service as a community safety officer and rehab team manager, as well as her overall 14 years of service.
Lieutenant Hobbs highlighted the high female participation in the brigade.
“Women now make up 30 per cent of the brigade’s operational membership,” she said.
“In fact, there are currently 11 women who are operational members of the brigade, turning out to all of our emergency calls.
“So far this year we have been called to a record number of emergencies and our top two attendees to these call outs are women.”
Alongside Lieutenant Hobbs and Ms Nolan, multiple women hold important long-standing roles in the brigade.
“It is a very rewarding role, contributing to the safety and welfare of our local and broader communities,” Lieutenant Hobbs said.
