Anthea Browne is Assistant Chief Fire Officer at Kildare Fire Service and Chair of the Women’s Fire Service Network. Below she talks about her career in the Irish Fire Service and her role with the WFSN. If you would like more information about the WFSN, check out their website or you can follow them on Instagram.
Can you walk us through your progression in the fire services? How did you start, and what were the key milestones?
I joined South Tipperary Fire and Rescue Service in 2001 and was based in Cashel. My family home had burned down in 1995 and although this didn’t immediately give me the desire to join the fire services, it exposed me to the work that firefighters do. When I by chance met a Sub-Officer from Cashel and realised he was in the fire service, I asked if there happened to be any jobs going and he said yes. He got me an application form and I decided to go for it. After 9 years as a Fire fighter I became a Sub-Officer and then in 2014 I decided I wanted to make a career in the Fire Service so I enrolled in the MSc. in Emergency Management in DCU. This really opened my eyes to wide variety of work a Senior Officer does.
I moved to Cork City Fire Brigade as an AFO in Fire Prevention in 2019, a role that fortuitously allowed me to get a great foundation in fire prevention. Recently, in 2023, I moved to Dublin City Fire Brigade as an Executive Fire Prevention Officer and shortly thereafter stepped into my current role as Assistant Chief Fire Officer in Kildare, focusing on Major Emergency Management and Special Projects. Alongside my Fire Service duties, I became involved with the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM), training as a deployable coordination expert for international disaster response missions. This work has taken me to Poland to aid the Polish government through a logistical hub for incoming EU humanitarian aid to Ukraine, and to develop and deliver two of the UCPM’s core training programmes, in addition to taking part in a number of exercises.
Why did you get involved with WFSN?
I attended a meeting of females in the Fire Service in Portlaoise in 2019 which then CFO Celina Barret organised to see if there was an appetite to start a women’s network. It was an amazing experience, I think there were about 60 women there from across the country. In the fire service you are usually the only woman at a course, or meeting, in your fire station, and even in your county, so it was just mind-blowing to have so many women in the fire service together, there was a buzz in the room and huge interest in forming a network. I was very keen to get involved in the network, so I expressed an interest to be on the committee and became Secretary initially, and then had the privilege to be voted in as Chair two years ago.
Who has been your biggest influence or mentor in the fire service?
Identifying a single mentor is challenging, but three pivotal figures have shaped my career. My first mentor, Station Officer Peter Fitzell, encouraged me to apply for
the Sub-officer position, a role I had not considered within my reach. CFO Dave Carroll provided invaluable opportunities during my MSc studies, integrating me
into the MEM Working Group. Lastly, the late Maria McKeogh from the NDFEM introduced me to the UCPM, significantly broadening my professional landscape.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
“Treat people as you would like to be treated.” This principle, instilled in me from a young age by my parents, has been a guiding light throughout my career. It reminds me of the importance of respect, regardless of a person’s status or role.