Fire safety Officer Lorraine Moore wins award at Bedfordshire Local Heroes award ceremony Lorraine Moore was awarded with the 'Keeping the Community Safe' Award at Bedfordshire Local Heroes Awards in July. Lorraine was one of Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service's first female firefighters and has been instrumental in recruiting more women to the fire service, which remains a predominantly male profession.

fire fighter lorraine wins award

On winning the award Lorraine said: "I was really surprised and humbled to receive the award, I just wasn't expecting it. "There are now 24 female firefighters across the 14 fire stations in Bedfordshire, these include Donna, a Watch Manager with 17 years' service, Claire a Crew Manager with 24 years' Service and Tracy a Crew Manager with 14 years' Service. It is now 'normal' to have a female firefighter on a watch. "I was one of the first and I'm still here now and it's shown it is a job women can do. I started off in Potton and we've actually had three women, two who are still here. A majority of stations now have female firefighters. "There's no point putting targets on numbers, it's about showing women it's a job they can do.

"I feel proud to work alongside both my male and female colleagues in keeping the local community safe." Lorraine has been described as 'an inspiration, not only to women but to all her colleagues'. One nomination for her said that she 'works tirelessly to help people understand the role of a firefighter and is a wonderful ambassador for the service.'