Firefighters are pouring cold water on past stereotypes, encouraging more women to apply for the challenging job in NSW.
In a bid to ensure gender balance in a traditionally male-dominated job, half of all new firefighter recruits will be women, Fire and Rescue NSW Commissioner Greg Mullins says.
He says female applicants have been disadvantaged in previous years because of the overwhelmingly large number of male applicants, but this year will be different.
Currently, only five per cent of the 3800 permanent firefighters in NSW are women.
"As in previous campaigns, merit selection will determine the best candidate for the job, regardless of gender, but we will deliver equity in the number of male and female firefighters," Mr Mullins said on Friday.
There will be no reduction in standards, he says.
Fire Brigade Employees Union president Darin Sullivan said firefighter jobs should "reflect our communities and that means 50 per cent women, not five per cent".
"We know women can do the job, because they've been doing it well for three decades," he said.
