Tuesday January 20th 2026
The recruitment event in Cambuslang
Written by Glasgow View Reporter, Liam Eunson
More than 100 women from across Scotland and beyond turned out to learn more about the role of a wholetime firefighter last week, as the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) prepares to recruit the next generation of frontline operational staff.
The event, held at SFRS Headquarters in Cambuslang in South Lanarkshire, formed part of wider efforts to support women and underrepresented groups who may be considering a career in firefighting as SFRS seeks a more diverse workforce.
Statistics show that just 220 of Scotland’s 3,430 wholetime operational firefighters are women – around six per cent. This compares to 14.6% of the total workforce (7,556), which also includes on call, operations control and support staff.
The near sell-out event provided information about the role, the recruitment process, and training involved, as well as the opportunity to ask questions and hear directly from women currently serving within SFRS about their careers.
This included Group Commander Lorna Yuill, an experienced firefighter and officer based in Glasgow, who said: “Events like this are an important part of our work to ensure people have clear, accurate information about what a career in firefighting involves.”
SFRS explained that creating a space for experienced firefighters to share their journey is an important step in breaking down barriers and challenging out-dated perceptions of the role.
They added that increasing the number of women firefights is not just about recruitment, its about creating a more diverse workforce which helps build stronger teams, improves decision-making, and ensures the service better reflects Scotland’s communities.
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