Irene Sánchez, 28, becomes the Corps’ first female driver
Irene Sánchez exudes the happiness of someone who has just fulfilled a dream that has marked her entire life. “From a very young age I knew that I wanted to belong to the fire department and I dreamed of driving the truck,” says this 28-year-old Murcian from the Carmen neighborhood, who has made history by taking up her position as driver of the Fire Extinction Service and Salvage, since she will be the first woman to drive a fire engine, not only in the municipality of Murcia, but in the entire Region.
Although he studied Physics, he always knew that his professional future would be in the park where he played as a kid when he went to see his father, a retired firefighter after 33 years of service, whom he shares in his success. “My father has helped me a lot. Last summer we toured the city and all its districts so that I could learn the names of the streets », he recalls the only walks he has enjoyed in the last year and a half. «My day to day as an opponent was to go to the library and train. In all this time I have not had any social life, but I would do it again because you have to sacrifice and fight for what you want. It could have gone wrong for me, but not for not doing everything on my part », she points out convinced.
All driving licenses
Irene is a motor enthusiast who usually goes to see Formula 1 and motorcycling races with her family on all the circuits in Spain. So much so that she has combined her university studies with an intense training at the driving school, always focused on the dream that she has now made a reality based on a lot of perseverance and effort.
Irene, 7 years old, dressed as a firefighter in front of a truck.
«When I turned 21 I started to get all the truck and motorcycle licenses. Now I also have the navigation title because they asked us to enter the fire department », he details. This emergency driving specialist is aware that she will be working in a man’s world, but she doesn’t make much of the fact that she has broken a glass ceiling for being a woman. “The girls who want to enter should put aside the taboos. Sometimes we limit ourselves, but with determination and enthusiasm everything is possible », she explains with the hope that there will be future colleagues who, knowing her story, follow in her footsteps and are encouraged to try. “My teammates treat me like one of them and I feel great in the team. In fact, I’ve always gotten along better with guys and have more male friends than female friends.”
It will not be until next Sunday when Irene makes her first shift in the Fire Extinguishing and Rescue Service, whose base is in the Infante neighborhood. However, she has already experienced a real intervention during the internship period that she has carried out this June. «It was a few weeks ago, in a fire that broke out in Los Ramos. When the park bell rang, it gave me an adrenaline rush, but in those moments it is very important to remain calm, concentrate and act quickly”, she tells of this first experience behind the wheel of the fire truck, in which she went alone as reinforcement of the troops deployed in the operation. An outing in which she reconfirmed how much she likes her future job. «In the fire station I am very happy; I feel at home », she says of the place that will become her second home in a matter of days. “I’m wishing to start”.
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