Trudie Ottow is proud to be named the first female Plimmerton fire engine driver in 75 years.
Trudie Ottow is proud to be named the first female Plimmerton fire engine driver in 75 years. ?People are interested in seeing a girl driving the truck, they say ?wow? at the fact I?m the first woman driver ? that?s quite a coup to have I guess,? Mrs Ottow says. A self-professed ?tom-boy?, she says acceptance of a woman driving the truck is not a major issue and ?who you are? determines how you are treated. ?There is a real sense of helping out; you find Plimmerton is an amazing place for that,? she says. Four and a half years-ago she joined the volunteer crew out of a sense of service to a community that has supported her. Mrs Ottow is the owner of the Vella on the Coast restaurant. ?I wanted to give back to the community where I live, and I?ve not looked back since ? I like giving time to help a community that has helped me.? The training to becoming a qualified driver was no mean feat. Mrs Ottow had to have intensive instruction and drive 12 provisional call-outs before being named a qualified fire engine driver. ?It was an intense commitment, they don?t just hand it to you all of a sudden,? she says. Mrs Ottow used to reside in Whitby, but eight months ago moved to be closer to the Plimmerton fire station. The volunteer crew has seen very little action in the past year, with only seven call outs so far in 2010. Although summer is traditionally a busy period this one has been ?very quiet?. ?We have had one gentleman down a bank on a motorbike, and a dog down a steep bank on Cluny Road, which is a very tight spot where you need to make 20 million three point-turns to get out,? she says. Another female fire fighter has recently joined the Plimmerton volunteer crew under the guidance of Mrs Ottow.
