BBC NEWS ‘How I became England’s first female firefighter’
ByIan Palmer and Craig Buchan, South East
- Published4 July 2026
The woman believed to be England’s first female operational firefighter has revealed she “had absolutely no idea that women weren’t in the fire service” when she joined.
Mary Joy Langdon joined the fire service in East Sussex in 1976 after seeing a newspaper headline about a shortage of personnel.
She told the BBC she “would not have done it” if she had realised how much publicity she would receive as a result of being the service’s first female recruit in peacetime.
“It was horrendous but I coped with it,” she said of the media attention.
The 76-year-old joined up during the famous heatwave of 1976.
Langdon, who had grown up on her parents’ farm in Battle, said conditions were “not only hot, but it was persistently dry” with shortages of animal feed.
“The headlines were ‘Battle needs more firefighters’ and it was just ‘well okay, I’ll do that’,” she told the BBC.
According to Langdon, she had “beaten out a small fire” on a few occasions at a neighbouring farm and “innocently thought” that was what she would be doing.
She said many people did not see the job as something a woman belonged to at the time but she had “absolutely no idea about that” and had “just assumed that it was a normal thing to do”.
On the day she signed up, Langdon “just knocked on the door” and was welcomed in by a fireman.
“We went up to the mess room and they offered me a cool drink and said we need to make a couple of phone calls,” she said.
“I could hear the sort of voice the other end – ‘What?’ – and then I was told to come back later that day when a senior officer had come in, and that was the commencement of it all.”
Langdon, who was “extremely fit” thanks to her work on the farm and being a swimmer, completed her training and began work.
She said she struggled to find kit that fit her properly, with most of it designed for men.
In one of her first deployments – supporting other crews at an out-of-control bonfire – she wore “the smallest boots they had, but they were still too big”.
“I took one stride and of course one boot came off and squelched into the mud, and then I took another stride to get the other foot and the other one was left in the mud,” Langdon said.
“From there on, I had several pairs of socks always in the boots ready and it didn’t happen again.”
The firefighter “seriously loved” her eight years in the service, before later becoming a nun, and said the similarities were that “there’s dedication and you’re giving your life to it”.
“The lads on the station were so good and supportive of me, which was fantastic – I never had any any trouble with them,” she said.
Her memoir, A Journey of Service, was published in April, with profits from the sales supporting East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service’s fire cadet programme.
Despite being the first woman in her role when she joined up 50 years ago, Langdon describes herself as “a very ordinary person”.
She said: “I never think of myself as being a pioneer.”
East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service
- Celebrating Britain’s first female firefighter
Celebrating Britain’s first female firefighter
Date
20 April 2026
East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service is celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Mary Joy Langdon becoming Britain’s first female operational firefighter in peacetime history.
When, in 1976, Mary Joy Langdon decided she wanted to join her local fire station at Battle, she had no idea she was about to make history.
It was a year of a severe drought that led Mary Joy to becoming a firefighter
Her book, “A Journey of Service”, tells her story, and has just been launched at a special event on 20th April 2026 at the Bexhill Museum.
Chief Fire Officer Mark Matthews said:
“Mary Joy’s story as Britain’s first female firefighter is profoundly inspiring. it not only highlights the significant challenges she overcame during her career in the fire service but also demonstrates how she transformed each obstacle into a positive trailblazing achievement, leaving a lasting legacy for many female firefighters who followed in her footsteps.”
He added:
“It is very generous of Mary Joy to donate all profits from the sale of books to our Fire Cadet programme. Young people from across Hastings, Eastbourne, Bexhill and Uckfield are benefiting from her kindness, enjoying the opportunities our programme offers.”
Read more about Fire Cadets | East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service
About the book
A Journey of Service is the inspiring memoir of Sister Mary Joy Langdon BEM, Britain’s first female operational firefighter in peacetime. In 1976, she challenged tradition and prejudice by joining the fire service at a time when frontline firefighting was exclusively male. Through vivid storytelling, Mary Joy recounts major incidents, rescues, and the courage required to serve in dangerous and demanding conditions.
Beyond the fire service, her life took an extraordinary path into religious life and pioneering equestrian therapy. As the founder of the Wormwood Scrubs Pony Centre, she dedicated decades to supporting children and young people—many with disabilities—through the healing power of horses.
Read more about the book: Book Launch “A Journey of Service” – Tales of MaryJoy
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November 18th 2025 A great visit to East Sussex Fire & Rescue Headquarters to meet Chief Fire Officer Mark Matthews & others to discuss the book “A Journey of Service” and to take the book further. When the book is for sale all profits will go towards the ESF&R Cadet programme. It is hoped that the book “Journey of Service” will be launched at Battle Fire Station March 2026. Following that there will be other events during the year associated with the book. When confirmed the details will be shared on this website.
Tales of MaryJoy 