The number of female firefighters at Devon Fire and Rescue Service must increase from 26 to 160 over the next eight years in order to meet government targets.

The brigade currently has just 26 women firefighters, 2% of its total staff.

By next April it has been tasked to employ 50, increasing to 113 in April 2004, and 188 five years later.

The brigade is currently below full strength with more than 100 vacancies.

Flexible working

It is hoping to recruit women to become retained firefighters.

The service's retained firefighters account for nearly 80% of its operational strength.

Retained staff respond to incidents from home or from their own work with their employers' permission.

The target is one of a new range of measures to try and provide more flexible working and increased training to attract both men and women.

Recruitment change

The service also has a target to employ nine firefighters from ethnic communities.

Linda Bailey from Devon Fire and Rescue Service said: "We're showing the governors that we're doing everything we can to reach that target.

"We are also looking at changing the ways we train and recruit retained staff to make it more attractive, as they do give up a lot of their own time because of national rules.

"We want to make it easier for people to do retained duties to fit in more with their lives. But that will need a change in the national conditions.

"We certainly do have staff from ethnic communities. It is less than 1%, but that reflects the local demographics.