Don't Tell Me I Can't......Become A Fire Fighter

Cath Homan quite literally left the frying pan for the fire

- James Hanman

As a call comes in and the alarm bells begin to ring through the fire station, I grab my helmet and run towards the fire truck that is ready to leave. As my colleagues and I bundle in, I feel the familiar rush of adrenaline – and pride. At 53, I’m finally doing a job I love that’s making a difference to people’s lives.

I started working for Battersea Fire Station in 1997, but not as a firefighter – I was working as a cook to the crew. A new mother to my daughter Matilda, then 18 months, the part-time job fitted perfectly around childcare and while my mum, Josie, looked after Matlida at the weekends, I would work in the fire station kitchen.