After nearly three decades of service, one of Cape Town’s most influential firefighters is retiring, marking the end of a career that reshaped gender representation within the City’s Fire and Rescue Service.
Arlene Wehr, one of the first women to wear a firefighter’s uniform in Cape Town, is retiring after 29 years of service. She joined the City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Service in 1996, becoming only the third woman in the service at the time.
Wehr left a private-sector career to become a firefighter, following family members who had served in emergency services. Over the course of her career, she steadily advanced through the ranks in a service historically dominated by men.
In 2004, she became the first female Station Officer in the Fire and Rescue Service. A decade later, she broke another barrier when she was appointed Divisional Commander. In 2019, she was named Head: Operations – District West, becoming the first woman to occupy a role at that level since the Fire and Rescue Service was established in 1845.
Her career is widely regarded as a turning point for gender inclusion within the service, demonstrating that leadership in high-risk emergency response environments is not limited by gender.
Beyond operational command, Wehr played a broader role in professionalising and representing emergency services in South Africa. In 2016, she received a City Lifetime Achiever Award for her work in advancing gender equality. She was elected Vice President of the South African Emergency Services Institute and led City delegations to international competitions, including the World Firefighter Games and World Rescue Challenges.
In a farewell address to colleagues, Wehr reflected on the demands and sacrifices of the profession, describing firefighting as a career defined by long hours, shared risk and collective resilience. She said the Fire and Rescue Service would remain a defining part of her identity beyond retirement.
Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security JP Smith said Wehr’s career had lasting institutional significance. He said she broke through entrenched barriers and created pathways for future generations of women in emergency services.
Her retirement comes as emergency services across South Africa continue to confront issues of transformation, skills retention and leadership development in critical public safety roles.
The City said further details relating to Wehr’s retirement and succession arrangements would be communicated internally.
