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'Fire service is helping me through the menopause'

Harriet Heywood
BBC News, East of England
Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service Ms Bourne is standing outside of a fire truck in her full fire black fire uniform. She has medium length brown hair. She is holding a large red fire hose and rolling it up around itself. Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service
Firefighter Sonya Bourne said the Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service had supported her

A female firefighter has said the menopause support her employers gave her meant she was able to continue working in the job she loves.

Sonya Bourne, 48, has praised the Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service for giving employees an appreciation of what women go through during menopause.

The firefighter from Kettering, Northamptonshire, said working with symptoms like brain fog, fatigue and feeling hot had been "really daunting".

She said she appreciated menopause training in a job that was predominantly male and could talk openly about it without being made to feel uncomfortable.

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service Ms Bourne is talking to three male firefighters. They are facing away from the camera - towards her. She is wearing her firefighting uniform and carrying equipment.Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service
"It's good that they can have that appreciation of what we're going through," Ms Bourne said

The firefighter said: "I feel very proud to say I'm a firefighter and to think that I may have considered not carrying on because of [menopause]... it would be horrible."

Ms Bourne, who has been in the service for 15 years, had IVF at 43 and returned to work part time after the birth of her twins.

It was there she noticed posters on the symptoms of menopause; fatigue, brain fog, low mood, concentration.

"All of those I could tick," she said.

"I started to realise the symptoms I had weren't just from being a new parent, it was actually that I was going through the menopause or perimenopause.

"Without the awareness at work, I didn't think [menopause] would be something that would affect me yet."

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service Ms Bourne is carrying a silver oxygen tank during a training exercise. She has a look of concentration as she walks. Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service
Ms Bourne said the fire service also helped her with getting the right medication

'Struggling'

Ms Bourne said she was in "response mode" during emergency call outs, but in training exercises she noticed her symptoms.

"We [firefighters] need to learn a lot - we need to do things by routine and when your mind just won't let you concentrate and your memory won't let you remember, it can be really daunting and my self-esteem plummeted at work."

"I was struggling just to even open up my emails and just do the simple things. I knew that I was more capable than that," Ms Bourne said.

"I didn't trust myself driving my own car because I was being really hesitant and then you think - I'm in in a workplace where I've got to take action and make decisions."

She did not have hot flushes, but felt her core body temperature had increased, making her especially hot wearing her fire kit.

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service A man and a woman (Ms Bourne) are kneeling on the ground on a yellow mat. They are each holding a silver tank, about the size of a fire extinguisher, with Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service written on. They are wearing blue fire service uniforms during the training exercise.Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service
The service had to demonstrate effectiveness in culture and training on the issue

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service has received a menopause friendly accreditation for its work supporting women.

It introduced mandated awareness training, updated guidance, risk assessments and put up posters promoting common symptoms.

It also improved toilet and welfare provisions for fire crews at incidents.

"I think it's just given me the confidence to not be ashamed of it," Ms Bourne said.

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