Empowering women in the line of fire
Published Date: 31 Jan 2014
Summary
Daily Liberal By PHILIP LY
WOMEN in rural areas will have the opportunity to feel more empowered and less vulnerable in fires through a NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) Orana Team program the Rotary Club of Dubbo South has agreed to help fund.
The new partnership between the two was forged earlier this week based on The Women with Flair program, which aims to increase bushfire awareness, knowledge, skills and confidence for women.
The NSWRFS Orana Team first ran the program last year and NSWRFS community safety officer Kennedy Tourle said it had been a huge success.
However she said the team needed further support from community organisations to help run more programs within the area.
"We wanted to build partnerships to fund further workshops in our area," Miss Tourle said.
Members of the Rotary Club of Dubbo South toured the NSWRFS Orana Team's facilities before deciding to support the Women with Flair program.
Orana Team manager Lyndon Wieland said having the Rotary Club of Dubbo South on board meant they now have the funds to run another program in Dubbo during the winter months.
"It is about building resilience within our communities as it can be the women and children left at home during bush fires where they can be most vulnerable," Superintendent Wieland said.
Miss Tourle said the program was not necessarily about giving women the ability to stay and defend their property but rather about giving them basic fire knowledge so they could make informed decisions for their and their family's safety.
She said participants from last year's program had not understood just how vulnerable they were in a bushfire situation at first.
"After the program they all realised the need to have a plan and went home to either implement what they had learnt or add to their current bushfire survival plan," she said.
"Some women are taking on initiatives to build resilience in their communities and work together."
