The Breaking Boundaries scheme, based in the south-west, involves emergency organisations from around the UK collaborating with local instructors to give female responders the expertise and confidence to be at the forefront of operations.
Among those benefitting are Coastguard Rescue Officers (CROs) from teams in Devon and Cornwall.
They have been selected for training to boost their skills as qualified rope rescue technicians, with the potential to pass on their knowledge to others.
Such specialist CROs are able to abseil down cliffs, for example, to help people stuck on rocks or trapped by the tide.
They are supported at the top by fellow CROs trained in using winch systems.
Michelle Spence is a volunteer CRO from Torquay Coastguard Rescue Team (CRT) in Devon, and is one of the women getting involved at the Plymouth training centre. Others were from Croyde and St Agnes CRTs.
Michelle said: "It’s been a fantastic opportunity for us all to gain additional knowledge and experience – not only in rope rescue, but also in understanding how our colleagues across other rescue services operate.
“The time, expertise and support shared by our instructors and by one another has been phenomenal.
“We’re excited about the next steps, which include bringing another cohort of women through the program, as well as developing members of our existing team through the next stages."
Breaking Boundaries is a joint initiative involving local training companies providing instruction and additional support to women from HM Coastguard as well as Hazardous Area Response Teams (HART) from South-West Ambulance Service, Mountain Rescue, Lowland Rescue, and Fire and Rescue Services.
