(picture courtesy: Joy Kochakkan/ JK Images)

Fire and Emergency New Zealand is hailing a spike in the number of women applying to become firefighters.

“With 12 days to go till the current round of recruitment closes, 75 women have completed applications to enter our recruitment pool,” said Fire and Emergency Recruitment Manager Rochelle Martin adding, "That’s the highest number we’ve ever had, but we’d like to see even more women putting their names forward. Presently only 4 percent of firefighters are female. Women bring a different and valuable set of skills and attributes to the job and we’re keen to increase their number.”

With 434 applications already in, total applications are also on track to be the highest ever for a single recruitment round. Once applications close, applicants will be interviewed and put through physical and cognitive tests. Successful applicants do three months training at Fire and Emergency’s National Training Centre in Rotorua before beginning their careers as firefighters. Each course has places for 24 recruits.

This, Martin noted, is a reflection of the high regard in which firefighters are held and the variety and challenges of a job in which no two days are the same. The current recruitment round closes on August 20.