Fire in her belly

“Dousing hungry flames is certainly not easy. It’s a test of one’s physical strength as well as courage and agility. But if one is determined, one can overcome any risk, however daunting it may be,” says Sita Khatik, a fire department officer in Rajasthan. While her namesake in the Ramayana once underwent an agnipareeksha (trial by fire), firefighter Sita undergoes it every day. She is among the 155 female firefighters recruited by the state in March last year and stationed in the capital Jaipur with five others.

Before this she was with a medical insurance company in a “nice and easy” job that brought home a tidy salary. However, her childhood dream had always been to distinguish herself by doing something “brave and courageous”. Her marriage at an early age only served to deepen her longing — her husband was working in home guards and civil defence, and his assignments fascinated her.

It was on an impulse that Sita, who has a postgraduate degree in political science and a professional Bachelor of Education (BEd), decided to enrol for a 48-day civil defence day-training course when her son was just 20 days old. While the rest of her family was shocked and upset, her husband supported her completely. “He even took leave from office to take care of the baby. It is said that behind every successful man, there is a woman. But in my case, it is the opposite,” she says.

It would be a few years more, however, before Sita could embark on the kind of career her heart hankered for. In 2011, when the Rajasthan government advertised for female recruits for the fire-tending services, she applied immediately. After being shortlisted, she cleared a six-month Fireman Elementary Course with flying colours. Sita recalls the question during the interview stage that decided her fate: Why had she opted for a risky job like fire fighting and was she not afraid? “I simply told them, if I was afraid, would I have even applied? I have this desire to prove wrong the people who think that women can’t be firefighters.”

Incidentally, most of her female colleagues hail from the small towns and villages of Rajasthan. It had not been easy for them to storm a male bastion. Yet, not only were they able to convince their parents and, in many cases, in-laws, but also successfully clear the tough exams and training.

Out of more than 1,000 applicants, just 155 qualified. Many lost out early on because they were either underweight or overweight. Sita’s colleague Sunita Devi says, “Having the right weight is important. Many applicants found the physical strain too much to bear. It is important to be in top shape to do what we do. Our job is quite risky. For instance, during the fire that broke out at a chemical factory recently, all of us would have been trapped had there been a delay of even a few seconds.”

Nirma, hailing from a village in interior Sikar District, adds, “It is absolutely essential to remain fighting fit, so daily exercise is a must. We have been trained intensively to use the water hoses, carry the ladder, and rescue and evacuate people to safety from buildings under fire. In the beginning, most of us found it difficult to hold the pressurised nozzle, but with practice we have learnt to handle it on our own.”

Despite proving their mettle on the job, the female firefighters still had to overcome lingering gender biases. “Our chief initially felt quite hesitant about sending us on assignments. But he must be credited for giving us the opportunity to do our duty in some of the worst fire incidents in the city. Now he is confident of our capabilities,” says one of the women. Their chief, Ishwar Lal Jat, is indeed proud of his new team members: “The female officers are working very well. They have boldly and actively dealt with all the fire accidents they were sent for.”

There was, however, yet another trial by fire for these intrepid women — earning the confidence of the men and women on the streets. They recall how initially many people feared for the women’s safety and demanded that the male firefighters keep them away from the site of the accident. Over time, however, perceptions changed dramatically.

In fact, during one of the fires that completely gutted the belongings of a household, the presence of the female firefighters proved comforting to the family members. The lady of the house hugged one of them and cried uncontrollably. “We did our duty and then sat with the woman for a while, sharing her pain. I realised then that our male officers would never have encountered such a situation,” says a visibly proud Sunita.

Abha Sharma © Women’s Feature Service

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