Hannah Archdeacon

Hannah has been in the Service for nearly 20 years. Having attended a 'Have A Go' event, which sparked her interest, she is now a Station Commander at Ely Fire Station, as well as a mum to three children.

"I wanted a job that was varied, where I was doing something different every day, that was active and quite physically challenging.

"I knew it was going to be a male dominated environment, but I didn’t see that as a barrier. Growing up with three brothers I always knew that girls can do everything that boys can do, so decided to give it a go."

Hannah is able to balance working on station, managing the day to day activities, with the option to work from home to achieve a healthy work life balance.

"A lot of colleagues have families so there’s a big support network within the Service.

"When you get onto the fire station you realise that people come from all walks of life - whether that’s different genders, builds or fitness levels, but everyone has a part to play in the watch. There’s a great level of camaraderie, it’s like an extended family. Everyone has a laugh and joke, but at the end of the day everyone is there to support each other.

"Some things we experience together operationally can be challenging, but if you’ve got any worries or concerns, there are always people around you that will listen and understand what you’re going through."

Before starting her journey to becoming a firefighter, Hannah attended a 'Have A Go' day.

"Before I became a firefighter, I worked as cabin crew at London Gatwick Airport, so it was a very different career. Joining the Service was something that I had considered in the back of my mind but didn’t want to go for it until I was ready to settle down and had been travelling.

"I went along to a Have A Go day in London 18 years ago with nothing to lose and it was a great eye opener. In life, you don’t know how you will react to some things until you experience it for the first time. The session made me realise that I didn’t mind enclosed spaces or heights, and I got to experience the tests you would need to pass to do the job before you start the process of applying.

"It was a very long application process. It took over 12 months and included lots of physical, written and fitness tests - but it was definitely worth it and now I’ve had 17 years of doing a job that I love!

"After having children and spending many years on a watch, I decided to develop myself further. This began with a move to our training centre as an instructor. I was fortunate enough to be able to spend two years delivering training and developing others, but I was also exposed to the wider organisation, which allowed me to gain a whole different skill set to take my career forward.

"From training centre I have recently been appointed the temporary Station Commander at Ely Fire Station, where I am responsible for the running of the station. Alongside this I am completing a development portfolio and will also be taking charge of larger operational incidents."