Diverse Fire and Rescue Services – personal experience ESSP meeting 12th Nov 2018 Diverse Fire and Rescue Services – personal experience Dawn Whittaker Chief Fire Officer, East Sussex FRS

Career John Lewis Partnership as a graduate trainee in 1988 Northamptonshire County Council as a Performance Manager in 2002 Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service as Senior Manager in 2004 Qualified operationally, progressing to Assistant Chief Fire Officer then Deputy Chief Fire Officer by 2008 Seconded to Central Government to support the Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser in 2014 East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service as Deputy Chief Fire Officer in 2016 Following at interim period, formally took up role as Chief Fire Officer in 2017 Chair of Board of Trustees for a National Charity (RLSS) NFCC Lead Officer for Water Safety and Drowning Prevention and co-author of the Drowning Prevention Strategy .

‘Why it matters to me’ Welsh, Women, Direct Entry Leadership is not talking about it Authenticity Our approach is revolutionary…really? Valuing difference to make a difference

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Home Office - future for FRS The Home Office is launching a new campaign to help fire and rescue services change that. Firefighters in England are approximately 95% male and white. Only 5.2% of firefighters in England are women, and 3.9% are from an ethnic minority background (BAME).

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