Co Kildare's Chief Fire Officer is appealing for women to join. Growing up she never thought she would become a fire fighter

Co Kildare's Chief Fire Officer recalls how she got a 'cautious reaction' when she first joined Dublin Fire Services. Chief Fire Officer, Celina Barrett, is married to a Co Kildare man, and resides in Leixlip. She has one adult son. The daughter of a welder and book-binder, from  Lismore Lawns, Waterford city, did not ever imagine she would become a fire-fighter. She said: "Growing up, I never thought that the fire -services was for women. In the early 90s, women had not broken into it." However, in her early 20s, she had graduated with an Honours Degree in Psychology from Trinity College, but could not find a job, it was the early 90s in Ireland. She decided to go through the long selection process to become a fire-fighter, and she was offered a post. The Chief  and one other woman made history and became the first women to join Dublin Fire Services. Chief Barrett said: "I got a cautious welcome, the men did not know what to expect. They were watching to see what impact a woman would have on the fire services. Once they were able to see that we could do the job, most were fine." 23 years on, the Chief has never looked back. From a retained fire fighter, to a Chief, it has been a long road, balancing work and motherhood. However, she is adamant that it is a job for a woman and that mothers can also do this successfully. She worked in Dublin Fire Services attending to car crashes, house fires and whatever was necessary for several years and then completed a Engineering Degree and Masters in order to climb the ranks into a senior role. The Chief said: "It is easier now, my son is in his 20s. when I was juggling work and study." She pays tribute to her Garda husband for his assistance and support. Staying in the fire services and not returning to Psychology was an 'obvious choice' for the Chief. She said: "I like the variety of work. Being in the retained fire services was mentally and physically challenging, I never looked back. I like the variety of work, a lot of what I do now is office based but on Wednesdays I still call out to fires, on operational work. A lot of work now is planning and controlling, it is challenging. You never know what each day will bring, but I could not do the same thing day in, day out." The Chief works on the basis that training is very important. She said: "To be the best retained fire service, training has to be at its highest level." The Chief is appealing for women to 'come and see what the job is like.' She is disappointed that out of a force of 80 in Co Kildare, there are only three women in the retained fire services and two, including herself at senior level. Chief Barrett said: "We definitely need a balance, having women brings an extra dimension to any station."   [caption id="attachment_178611" align="alignleft" width="221"] Co Kildare's Chief Fire Officer, Celina Barrett.[/caption]