Meet the First Female Firefighter at Chennai Airport: Remya Sreekantan

Remya Sreekantan has created history by being appointed as the first female firefighter at Chennai Airport. She is the third female firefighter in Airport Authority of India and the first in AAI southern region. The first-ever female firefighter at AAI, Tanya Saniyal from Kolkata, was appointed in 2018.

Speaking about her new yet challenging journey, Remya told Times of India , “I have landed upon a job which is challenging and I am confident of delivering. I hope more women will join fire services in the future. We need to have the right mindset to explore the avenues at our disposal.”

Key Takeaways:

• Remya Sreekantan has become the first female firefighter in AAI, Southern India.
• She has been appointed at Chennai Airport and is the third female firefighter in AAI.
• The first female firefighter to be appointed in AAI is Tanya Saniyal from Kolkata.
• Remya,28, born and brought up in Thiruvananthapuram, is an M.Tech in structural engineering.
• Remya is also the mother of a two-year-old daughter.  

I hope more women will join fire services in the future. We need to have the right mindset to explore the avenues at our disposal. - Remya Sreekantan

Remya Sreekantan’s life journey at a glimpse

28-year-old Remya hails from a modest family in Thiruvananthapuram and is a mother of a two-year-old child. She completed her postgraduation in structural engineering in 2015 and then worked as an Assistant Professor of steel structures and engineering mechanics at the LBS Institute of Technology For Women in Thiruvananthapuram. Later, in 2017, she took a break of two years from her career for her pregnancy.

Remya joined Chennai Airport on November 1, 2019, as the Junior Assistant (AFS). She has also undergone a rigorous training period of four months at the Fire Training Center (FTC) to be competent enough for the position she holds today.

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After she got the job at Chennai Airport as a firefighter, Remya could not believe it. As reported by Femina, Remya said, “Till I got it, I didn’t quite realise what a huge responsibility this is; and of course, I’m thrilled beyond words and it feels surreal now,”

Being inducted at AAI a big leap

Airport firefighter job is predominantly male-dominated working space. With only three women till now being appointed as firefighters, the workspace lags far behind in gender diversity. As per AAI, “Firefighters are the first respondents to a disaster call or to a disaster call or situation. The job warrants alertness combined with remarkable physical and mental strength.” Before Tanya Saniyal was hired as the first-ever female firefighter, AAI did not even have any provision that allowed women to take up the job.

28-year-old Remya is a mother of a two-year-old child. She worked as an Assistant Professor of steel structures and engineering mechanics at the LBS Institute of Technology For Women in Thiruvananthapuram.

However, it was a big leap for Remya to be assigned the post that drove her towards success despite the gender barriers. She said, “You hardly see many women firefighters because of a lot of constraints they face personally and otherwise. My husband and family have been of immense support. They let me do what I wanted, despite knowing the risks involved in the job. This is how it should be, ideally. Women should be able to pursue anything they are passionate about,”

Besides, she also added that her endeavour could be an example for her two-year-old daughter to take up any career that she finds interesting without caring about the gender stereotypes of society.

Picture Credit: Deccan Chronicle

Rudrani Kumari is an intern with SheThePeople.TV.

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