For the West Midlands Fire Service and Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service, having a diverse workforce is integral to serving their communities effectively, and the people behind the uniforms work tirelessly day and night to keep us safe.

Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service has 25 fire stations with 41 fire engines. Frontline response firefighter Leanne joined the fire service when she was just 21 years old. Keen to follow in her uncle’s footsteps, Leanne joined when there was a demand for on-call firefighters at her local village station in Eardisley, Herefordshire. Now, Leanne works full-time at Bromsgrove Fire Station on White Watch and also works on-call at Eardisley Fire Station.

Samantha is a group commander at West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS), who manages eight fire stations across her patch. Samantha was the first Black female officer when she joined in 1990. She encountered some tough times when she first joined, but sees herself as a trailblazer and has since risen through the ranks. She is outspoken and passionate about encouraging more women and more recruits from ethnic minorities into the service.

Finally, Simon is station commander at Bromsgrove and Tenbury Fire stations. In 2004, Simon had a high-speed motorcycle collision that resulted in him being airlifted to hospital and having his left leg amputated below the knee. Determined to get back to the job he loved, he battled his way back to fitness and returned to work just 18 months later as Europe’s first amputee firefighter. In 2010, Simon won the prestigious Firefighter of the Year award. He is passionate about being in the fire service and is proud to call himself a firefighter. Show less