For London’s new fire brigade commissioner Dany Cotton, being a firefighter does not mean being a “six foot hairy-arsed man.”
Although Cotton, now 47, is the brigade’s first female commissioner in its 151-year history, she has served the department since she was 18. She oversees 102 fire stations, 4,800 uniformed firefighters and 800 other personnel. In a recent interview with The Guardian, Cotton shared her views on women in firefighting and the importance of challenging the stereotype that the service is for macho men.
Cotton said she joined the brigade after seeing an advertisement, a move that panicked her parents, who were concerned she would face heavy harassment and bullying.