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The latest Home Office data reveals that in 2019, there were 44 on-call and full-time female firefighters with South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, alongside 609 men.

That means just 6.7 per cent of South Yorkshire's operational workforce were women.

It does, however, put the service above the national average of 6.4 per cent, with the proportion of female firefighters locally growing from 5 per cent in 2014.

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Chief Officer Alex Johnson. Picture Scott Merrylees

Chief Fire Officer Alex Johnson said: “We’ve come a long way in recent years, but there is still a lot more to do – you only have to look at the fact I’m one of only six women in the country who hold such a similar senior position, and the figure that still only 6 per cent of firefighters are women, to see that.

“I’m proud of some of the work we’ve done recently and, as an organisation, we are very committed to keeping this upward trend going.

“The reality is our work now is far more than just rushing into burning buildings.

“We do a range of youth engagement and community work that requires a variety of skills and, if we are to be truly effective, we need to have a workforce that fully reflects the diverse communities we serve.

“And clearly while we do still rush into burning buildings this isn’t just men. We have both male and female firefighters who go through the same rigorous testing and training process to be able to ride on one of our fire engines. We have loads of amazing women working in support roles and in our control room, too.”

In 2018-19, three women joined SYFRS as firefighters, compared with 21 men.

A Women in the Fire Service UK spokesman said: “Unfortunately, it’s down to education.

“Many still see the role of a firefighter as a 'fireman' – someone who will throw you over his shoulder and bring you out of a burning building as in films, but this is not how modern fire and rescue services operate.”

A Home Office spokesman said it is working with fire authorities to ensure they are recruiting from the broadest talent pool.

Work under way to recruit more female firefighters in South Yorkshire