Female firefighters Carly White and Catherine Yates first women to appear in SA firefighters calendar

NOTORIOUS for filling its pages with topless and hard-bodied blokes, the latest Aussie professional firefighters calendar now includes two women for the first time.

Firefighter Carly White in the 2017/18 South Australian Firefighters Calendar. All pictures: Megan Hearn from Out Of The Box Photography & Jess Kaucz from Mapleberry Photography

NOTORIOUS for filling its pages with topless and hard-bodied blokes, the latest South Australian professional firefighters calendar now includes two women for the first time.

Carly White, 32, and Catherine Yates, 31, hope their involvement in the SA Metropolitan Fire World Police and Fire Games Club calendar will help break down the stereotype of firefighters being only men.

Nominated by her fiance, Ms White was the first to put her hand up to appear among the glossy pages as “a bit of a dare”.

“The guys have been doing it for a long time, but I think as the profession grows a bit older it’s become a more diverse workplace,” she said.

Ms White, a mother to Noah, 4, said the support she has received from her family — including her firefighter father — and the general public has been overwhelming.

“I’ve been blown away ... everyone I’ve spoken to has been incredibly supportive, I wasn’t sure if that was going to be the response but I had hoped so,” she said.

“It would be nice to normalise females as firefighters in the media and for people to see women as firefighters as normal.”

Firefighter Paul Edwards.

Firefighter Catherine Yates.

Ms Yates decided to join Ms White and drew on her experience as a circus performer and rigger to pose wrapped upside down in a fire hose.

“It’s quite a big step, it’s the first time ever women have been involved in the calendar," she said.

“It’s traditionally quite a male-dominated thing ... I think it kind of reflects society in not being so structured anymore and it shows that anyone can do anything.

“Hopefully it makes girls think outside the square of what they can achieve, whether it’s becoming a firefighter or a mechanic or any other male dominated job.”

Club president Neil Mangelsdorf said no women had previously nominated to be pictured in the calendar.

“We have an open door policy and it really is a time that the market now is mature enough to allow it,” he said.

Mr Mangelsdorf is encouraging locals to ensure they purchase the SA calendar, which bears the Brand SA logo, to keep the charity dollars in the state.

“There is another calendar out there that is from Queensland ... it’s a free market but people need to be armed with information that their charity dollar is going to leave the state,” he said.

The SA calendar helps fund firefighters competing in the biennial World Police Fire Games and supports TeamKids, the Women’s and Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Calendars are available in the Jubilee Pavilion at the Royal Adelaide Show or online at https://safirefighterscalendar.com.au/.

The South Australian Firefighters Calendar cover.

Originally published as Female firefighters Carly White and Catherine Yates first women to appear in SA firefighters calendar