St Neots crew commander Agata (Aggie) Wieczorek has been awarded runner-up in the Firefighter Rising Star category of the Women in the Fire Service Awards UK.
She was nominated for her commitment and dedication and “the way she has been an advocate for others in the fire service, particularly women and those from other ethnic minority groups”.
ACFO Jon Anderson said: “I’d like to congratulate Aggie on being recognised in these awards.
“Her willingness to develop her skills and act as a role model for others is exemplary and we are very proud to have her as part of the team.
Aggie joined the service as an on-call firefighter in February 2012 and two years ago became a whole-time firefighter at St Neots Fire Station.
Firefighting runs in the family for Aggi, she grew up in Poland, where her dad, uncles and granddad have all been involved with the volunteer fire service.
Aggie said: “I grew up in Poland and had an interest in the fire service from a young age, but while there are female firefighters in Poland, there is a perception that women can’t do it. It’s much more accepting here.
“My family are very supportive. My husband is especially proud. He helps me get out of the house quicker when I’m on-call.
Aggie works at St Neots Fire Station which is a day crewed station so she works Monday to Friday in her whole-time role.
On top of this, Aggie is also an on-call firefighter so responds from home when her alert goes off.
Aggie said: “You don’t know if you can do something until you’ve tried it. You could walk past a station every day and always wonder ‘could I do that?’, or you could give it a go. I did and here I am.
“Women often worry about their fitness being a barrier to becoming a firefighter.
“My secret to keeping in shape is the Joe Wicks workouts. Every day is different, and we’re helping people. When we’re driving through the streets, children wave at us.
“Sometimes people are surprised to see a woman driving the fire engine but hopefully it encourages others to think they can do it too. I love it.”
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