Authors
Helen Frazer Ph.D. Candidate, Military and Emergency Services Health Australia (MESHA), The Hospital Research Foundation Group, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, The University of Adelaide, South Australia, AustraliaFollow
Ellie Lawrence-Wood Ph.D., Phoenix Australia, University of Melbourne, Victoria, AustraliaFollow
Miranda Van Hooff Ph.D., Military Families Research – Gallipoli Medical Research; The University of South Australia, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, AustraliaFollow
Amelia Searle Ph.D., Flinders Medical Centre, Pain Management Unit, South Australia, Australia, Flinders University, South Australia, Australia, Charles Darwin University, the Northern Territory, AustraliaFollow
Abstract
This study explores the barriers and facilitators of integrating women into the firefighting workforce, with insights drawn from both women and men firefighters in South Australia. The research focuses on challenges and supports encountered during recruitment and long-term retention of women in this male-dominated field. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with paid (career) firefighters, with a thematic analysis applied to transcriptions. Key themes identified included occupational challenges (barriers) such as lack of diversity, perception of women as “diversity hires,” ill-fitting uniforms and equipment, unconscious bias, and the hypermasculine culture of the workplace. Women also tended to cope with workplace trauma differently than men, seeking psychological support from female colleagues, while men often suppressed emotions. Non-occupational facilitators such as flexible rostering access to fitness programs, and lifestyle benefits including camaraderie within the workforce, were important in retaining both genders. However, the lack of accessible 24-hour childcare emerged as a significant barrier for women managing both work and caregiving responsibilities. We concluded that improving equipment fit, trauma support, inclusive recruitment and accessible 24-hour childcare are essential for increasing gender diversity in firefighting. These changes are key to retaining women in first responder roles and enhancing the overall effectiveness of the workforce.
Keywords
thematic analysis, women, firefighter, barriers, facilitators, recruitment, retention
Author Bio(s)
Helen Frazer is a Ph.D. Candidate with the University of Adelaide, with a specific interest in female first responders and their integration into the workforce. Please direct correspondence to helen.frazer@adelaide.edu.au
Ellie Lawrence-Wood is a senior research fellow at Phoenix Australia Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, and an adjunct fellow in the Discipline of Psychiatry at the University of Adelaide. She specialises in military and high-risk occupation mental health and wellbeing, with a current focus on performance optimisation, risk mitigation and early intervention for Veterans and first responders exposed to stress and potentially traumatic events through their occupations. She has extensive experience in assessment and monitoring of the health impacts of service among military and first responder populations. She has been an investigator on several project grants and consultancies, including the Transition and Wellbeing Research Programme, and was the lead Investigator on the Impact of Combat Study specifically. Other military projects she has had a lead role in, include the Middle East Area of Operations (MEAO) Prospective Study (the precursor to the Impact of Combat Study), a large-scale project focusing on the psychological, physical and neurobiological impacts of deployment to the MEAO among ADF personnel; and the Mothers in the MEAO study, a follow-up to the Military Health Outcomes Program (MilHOP) Health Studies, aimed at understanding the specific health and psychosocial wellbeing impacts of deployment, for Australian mothers deployed to the MEAO. In addition to her research, she is the current Chair of the Clinical Advisory Committee, and a Director on the Board of Management, for the Operation Flinders Foundation, a South Australian based charitable organisation that runs a world leading wilderness adventure program for young people at risk.
Dr. Miranda Van Hooff is Executive Director of Military and Emergency Services Health Australia (MESHA) an affiliate of the Hospital Research Foundation Group and an Associate Professor at the University of Adelaide and University of South Australia. She has authored 77 journal articles, 2 book chapters and 31 government reports on the mental health of trauma-exposed populations. As lead researcher on the Transition and Wellbeing Research Programme, The Military Health Outcomes Programme and the South Australian (SA) Metropolitan Fire Service Health and Wellbeing Study, her research has been a strong driver of change in policy and service provision, with these studies being the largest in Australia to ascertain the prevalence of mental disorders in current and ex-serving ADF members and SA Firefighters. Dr. Van Hooff completed her Ph.D. in 2010 examining the 20-year mental health outcomes of exposure to the Ash Wednesday Bushfires in childhood. Since then, she has completed several studies of disaster-affected and service communities including “After the Fires,” a study of Australian Firefighters involved in the 2019/2020 bushfires and a study of young emergency-service volunteers. Most recently her research has examined the longitudinal impacts of PTSD assistance dogs, and the 40-year impacts of childhood disaster exposure. Dr Van Hooff has received research funding of over $10M during her career. She is currently the Deputy Chair of the SA Veterans Advisory Council and is a member of the Lived Experience and Research Advisory Group, an expert advisory body to the Royal Commission into Military and Veteran Suicide.
Dr. Amelia Searle completed her Ph.D. through the University of Adelaide in 2011 in child mental health. Her research experience spans two decades, in the broad areas of mental health and wellbeing, public health and epidemiology, and health services research, and focusses on the predictors of mental health, disorder and wellbeing across the lifespan. In her current role as data manager/research scientist at the Flinders Medical Centre Pain Management Unit, Dr. Searle collaborates with medical consultants, allied health clinicians, nurses and administrative staff, as well as university academics to conduct various research projects regarding chronic pain patient outcomes, generating results that are directly translatable into quality improvement and evidence-based practice. In particular, she values harnessing the power of patient voice through both qualitative and quantitative research to inform patient-centred care. Dr Searle has authored over 40 peer-reviewed publications and presented at various national and international conferences. She also holds adjunct roles within the Flinders University College of Medicine and Public Health, and at Charles Darwin University in the NT.
Acknowledgements
The study authors wish to thank all firefighters who took part in this research study and kindly offered their time and described experiences in their firefighting role.
Publication Date
5-31-2025
DOI
10.46743/2160-3715/2025.6942
Recommended APA Citation
Frazer, H., Lawrence-Wood, E., Van Hooff, M., & Searle, A. (2025). A qualitative study on the barriers and facilitators of integrating women into the firefighting workforce: Perspectives of men and women. The Qualitative Report, 30(5), 3640-3664. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2025.6942
ORCID ID
0000-0002-9673-3406
