The Sunday Mail
Emmanuel Kafe
Fit and fearless, Agnes Chinzvende is something of a trailblazer.
When she puts on a firefighter’s bulky protective clothing and helmet, Chinzvende is often mistaken for a man. It is not until she takes off her mask or speaks that people realise she is a woman.
She is one of the longest-serving members of the Harare Central Fire Department.
The Sunday Mail Society recently caught up with Chinzvende.
She narrated how women have been left in the periphery of firefighting services.
Chinzvende is one of the few women at Harare Central Fire Station; two juniors recently joined her there.
She is a rare personality in a field that has presented austerity from training to employment.
Fire brigade services in Zimbabwe have existed for years, yet women have shunned the profession whose core function is to respond to emergencies. This profession is perceived to be risky for women because of the assumption that women are weak.
Ms Chinzvende explains: “This is just an assumption because at times I have done more work than men inasfar as firefighting is concerned.”
The 35-year-old mother of three has sailed with all the determination and tenacity, trampling on obstacles along the way.
She is now the leading firefighter in her department.
“Fire fighting is hard, dangerous and can be scary. I have a healthy respect for fires. I know what they can do,” said Ms Chinzvende.
Discipline
Hers is a profession that requires physical fitness apart from courage and discipline.
“Heavy hoses call for strength, and facing a fire calls for courage. You have to be loyal to your colleagues too, because when you go into a burning building, you have to rely on each other,” she said.
Her male colleagues at the base station do not give her any special treatment.
“Although I am the only woman here, I have proved that l am equally good at this job.”
For Agnes, being a female fire-fighter is similar to being a mother.
“I don’t only see myself as a female firefighter, but as a mother.
“As mothers, we are caring, sharing and protective.
“When we are fighting fires, we are caring and protecting our community and the environment,” she said.
Her leaders said Ms Chinzvende is always alert when executing her duties.
For one to become a firefighter, they need five Ordinary Level passes that include Mathematics, English and a Science subject. Firefighters undergo training for four months.
Ms Chinzvende trained at the Harare Central Fire Station in 2006 and rose through the ranks to become the leading fire officer at the Harare Fire Department.
As a female firefighting pioneer, Ms Chinzvende feels that it is her obligation to encourage other women to join any profession.
“Women can also be leaders in this department, I lead men. I perform any duty that can be performed by men, from driving fire engines to fighting fire. Women should not be afraid to join firefighting.”
Ms Chinzvende has attended to life-threatening missions, notably the recent fire that blazed a tobacco auctions floor and the Norton Grain Marketing Board inferno.
500 degress Celsius
“I have attended life-threatening missions and have been involved in saving lives with my team.
“ It is a risky adventure each time you go to save property or human life because sometimes fire temperatures will be above 500 degrees Celsius, that in itself is life threatening.
“Women need to break new grounds as there are many opportunities that come with it,” she said.
Women across the country are increasingly taking on frontline roles that were once the sole preserve of men.
The army, police force and other security wings have witnessed the rise of women to higher decision-making ranks.
