Northamptonshire’s first female on-call firefighter looks back at legacy

On International Women’s Day (March 8) we wanted to share Cyndy Phillips’ story with you all.

Cyndy – or Cyd as she was known in the Service – was one of the first women in the country to be a retained firefighter in the modern Fire Service when she signed up to be on-call at her home village station of Irthlingborough in 1981.

In 1984, she became wholetime in Corby at a time when there were barely any women firefighters. From there, she became the first British woman wholetime firefighter to attend and complete a course at the Fire Service College in 1989.

She continued to work at NFRS, passing her exams and being promoted to a Sub-Officer (now known as Watch Manager). She was then awarded an MBE in the 2000 New Year’s Honours list for services to the British Fire Service.

She retired in 2002 after 20 dedicated years of service and continues to live locally in retirement.

Cyndy stays in touch with some friends from her time in the Service, including our current Equipment Manager Claire Aldersey – who along with Cyndy became a trailblazer for frontline female firefighters here in Northamptonshire.

Reflecting on her experience, Cyndy said: “My legacy is one of having made a difference. I was visible, a role model, an educator – promoting understanding of the role of women in the Fire Service, and an example to others that women were capable of not only being a successful firefighter but also able to progress through the ranks and become a manager and a leader.

“One of the most emotional moments recently was that a neighbour had a fire and several fire appliances turned up and it was noticeable that quite a few women got off the pump and were accepted as a normal part of the team. I wept with pride and joy at how times and the Service has changed and that I played a part in making that happen.”

Cyndy did not just have an impact locally, as she was part of the first group of women who set up the Women in the Fire Service (WFS) organisation, and even served as Chair. She worked tirelessly to establish the network and bring women’s issues to the forefront of the Fire Service.

It is important for any public organisation to reflect the community it serves. On International Women’s Day 2025 we pay tribute to the work done by people such as Cyndy to start that journey, as well as our current women firefighters and fire staff that continue to drive it forward.