Name: Emma Long
Station/Watch: Avonmouth/Green
Age:
24
Height: 5ft 6’’
Weight: 10 stone
Year
joined AF&RS: 2005
Previous
job: Postal
worker
Position
at AF&RS: Firefighter
Hobbies: Hockey, squash, fitness and sometimes
golf
Favourite
food: Italian (anything with pesto)
Favourite
drink: Jack Daniels or Magners and black
Favourite
place: Anywhere in the sun
Hero: My mother
Claim to
fame: I am the fifth test tube twin in the world.
Why did
you want to become a firefighter? To help others, for the
thrill and excitement, to work in an environment that includes a
tight bond with colleagues and to learn a variety of skills in a
job that is physical.
Did you
have any fears about becoming a firefighter? My family
were worried about it.
Did you do
much physical training before joining AF&RS? A lot, I
was running two or three times a week, plus endless hours in the
gym building strength.
How hard
did you find training school? It was easier than I thought
but there was a lot to get through in a short period of time.
How was
your first day on shift? Nerve-wracking of course! The
watch were very welcoming and supportive so it was sound in the
end. There was so much to take in about station life.
How do you
find working in a mainly male dominated workforce? I love
it. Everyone is very easy going and I have always worked in male
dominated environments.
What is
your most memorable moment at work? There are many.
Probably my first shift, doing ladder drills, screaming the
commands.
What has
been you most embarrassing moment at work? Again there
have been quite a few. One was my first lecture to the watch.
If a
female said to you they wanted to join AF&RS what would your
response be?
I would be very
encouraging and give them as much information and guidance as they
needed. It would be exactly the same if I was approached by a man
interested in becoming a firefighter. I would help them get the
recruitment process started by pointing them in the right
direction.