SUTTON Grange and Myrtle Creek CFA has its first ever female fire captain, and she\u2019s stepping into the role with a long history of service in the area.<\/p>\n
Jan Hull started volunteering at Harcourt Fire Brigade, leading the Ladies Auxiliary with her mum.<\/p>\n
Later, she went into firefighting at the same brigade with her dad and brother, and then transferred to Sutton Grange and Myrtle Creek when she got married.<\/p>\n
Captain Hull continued as a firefighter before moving into a communications officer role for 10 years, then taking on the rank of lieutenant, before making captain.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t see it personally as a big thing for being the first female, I think it’s just all gender equality now, and this is just the next chapter,\u201d said Captain Hull.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m hoping for inclusive leadership and being able to bring technology into the forefront a little bit more, getting people onto learning hubs and doing training that way and being more engaged in the brigade itself.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got a good mix of gender equality through the brigade, it has got more and more over time. I don\u2019t get treated any differently.\u201d<\/p>\n
Retaining volunteers is something Captain Hull said she wants to focus on, and she said it\u2019s important to showcase to new recruits what the CFA can offer.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just as important for people to volunteer in their community or neighbouring communities, to keep the community alive so to speak, and to keep people interested in where they live,\u201d Ms Hull said.<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably the major issue is to keep people engaged, a lot of people come in with good intentions and wanting to do things but then sort of drop off the radar over the next few years.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to keep those people still interested and keep supporting each other and then that will then gravitate to the next generation coming forward to bring that skill level forward as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cCFA can offer the peer support program for mental health, development in leadership roles, courses to extend self and the brigade in further development as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Captain Hull said she was grateful for the support of those around her who helped her achieve her new position.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t do these sort of leadership roles without the support of your family as well, you need your whole team around you,\u201d she said. \u201cCFA support and also your own personal family support.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
SUTTON Grange and Myrtle Creek CFA has its first ever female fire captain, and she\u2019s stepping into the role with a long history of service in the area. Jan Hull started volunteering at Harcourt Fire Brigade, leading the Ladies Auxiliary with her mum. Later, she went into firefighting at the same brigade with her dad […]<\/p>\n