LUCEA, Hanover — For the first time ever in the 152-year history of Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB), women are in three top leadership positions within one division.

Superintendent Terry-Ann Leslie was recently made divisional commander of the Lucea Fire Station in Hanover. Assistant Superintendent Tamara McLaren is her second in charge with responsibility for operations, while District Officer Khalilah Wright is in charge of the fire prevention department.

It is not unusual to see women in leadership positions in the JFB and two women have in the past held the top posts in the Kingston and St Andrew division. But never before has there been a division led by three women.

Leslie has described the feat as “historic”.

What makes it even better is the connection between her deputy, McLaren, and herself. They trained together and started their careers with the JFB at the same time.

In addition, at some point all three women worked alongside each other in the St James division. However, as their development continued within the organisation, they took separate paths. Leslie ended up in Kingston as head of the research and development department, McLaren moved to Hanover as the second in command and shortly after was joined by Wright who moved to the parish to head the fire prevention department.

For Leslie, their progress is a clear indicator of the faith placed in women of the JFB, and recognition that they are capable of leading alongside their male counterparts.

“Leadership is not gender-based, management is not gender-based, it is you having the drive and the tenacity to lead. So, regardless of the fact that this is a male-dominated organisation, no one should look at it to say females cannot do just the same,” she told the Jamaica Observer.

She pointed out that the JFB now employs women in several top positions at the national level.

“Currently, our highest serving female firefighter is that of an assistant commissioner and followed by that we have a senior superintendent, who is acting as a deputy commissioner,” Leslie revealed. “So, where leadership and females are concerned, that is nothing to be worried about or fearful about.”

Her batch mate and second in command, McLaren, is also quite happy to be a part of their history-making team. The goal, she said, is to build on the successes the division has accomplished over the years.

“It is a good feeling. I know that with the three females that are here now, we know we can take Hanover to the next level. Seeing that we are a part of history, we are going to make every effort to see that our leadership is noticed by the hierarchy,” she vowed.

Wright is looking forward to her continued growth and development alongside her peers.

“It feels good to be a part of a male-dominated organisation knowing that once you give them the respect, they in turn will provide that level of respect,” she stated.

That ties in with the approach Leslie intends to take in her time at the helm in Lucea. One major goal will be to maintain the high standards that she has come to appreciate within the organisation.

“When I joined the service in 1996, I joined at a level of high standards of leadership in terms of having high expectations of members of staff. Going to Kingston allowed my standard to be more solid because working at the headquarters, the commissioner was my immediate supervisor and that standard was not lowered in any way,” she said.

“Coming to Hanover Division, coming back to the area, I will continue to uphold my standards, continue to serve the Jamaica Fire Brigade. This has already been indicated to the Hanover members of staff that I am expecting that level of standard. Being the head of the division, I am not only there as a figurehead but to emulate and to lead — and to lead by example,” Leslie added.