A NEW children’s book aims to pour cold water on the myth that firefighting is just for men.

And the initiative has the backing of Silsden on-call firefighter, Danielle Whitham.

The book – Firefighter Ruby: Because Girls Can Be Heroes Too! – has been written by Emma Greenhalgh, communications manager with West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

It is designed for children aged three to seven.

Emma said: “It’s hard to believe that even today some young girls are under the impression that firefighting is not a job they could do when they are older, which is sadly and wrongly closing doors in their minds to the profession at a very young age.

“Studies have suggested children decide ‘what they want to be when they grow up’ at as young as five years old, so I think it’s important they have a true picture of what is possible.

“I wanted to create an assertive female lead character who is a firefighter and works alongside male firefighters to show that they are ‘one family’ and one team. The book does not preach the message, but instead delivers it in a fun adventure story with some quirky characters.

“It encourages girls to believe in themselves and have determination and not let job stereotypes get in their way whatever they want to be!”

The West Yorkshire brigade currently has around 50 female firefighters, including three based at Keighley. They make-up about five per cent of whole-time operational staff.

In addition to her Silsden on-call role, Danielle is a whole-time firefighter at Fairweather Green Fire Station in Bradford.

She said: “I really love being in the fire service as there’s so much variety each and every day, with all the different types of training and skills we learn and of course the wide range of rescues we carry out – it’s much more than just attending fires.

“When you join the fire service you become part of the family and I’ve always felt like a valued member of the team..

“There are currently on-call firefighter opportunities available at ten stations across West Yorkshire, including Silsden, and I would encourage anyone who fancies trying something new to consider it – it’s hugely rewarding and you are giving something back to your community.”

West Yorkshire’s deputy chief fire officer, Dave Walton, also backs the venture.

“We thoroughly support having a diverse workforce,” he said. “We urge people to use inclusive language so that future generations do not grow-up believing that firefighter is a role only men can undertake.”

Firefighter Ruby: Because Girls Can Be Heroes Too! can be found on Facebook @FirefighterRuby or Amazon, or e-mail FirefighterRuby@gmail.com.

For further information about becoming an on-call firefighter, visit joinwyfirefighters.com.