Growing up around fire stations, Destiny Field can still picture her dad, Wayne, running out the door when a shout came in. That mix of pride and curiosity she felt as a child never faded and, today, she’s followed in his footsteps and joined London Fire Brigade herself.
They work at different stations, but they’ve attended a couple of shouts together. And with each one, Wayne makes sure his daughter carries one message with her: talk, and know where to turn when the job takes its toll.
Wayne had fundraised for Fire Fighters Charity for years, but he didn’t realise just how much support was available until he was admitted to ICU with Covid-19. What followed was a difficult journey with Long Covid, hugely affecting his daily life. Attending our Covid Recovery Programme at Marine Court, however, was a turning point.
Source: London Fire Brigade
It’s a period both he and Destiny remember well. Seeing the difference that support made has driven them to share their story – to ensure every member of the fire services community knows help is there long before they ever need it.
“I grew up around fire stations and as I got older, I found it a really inspirational job,” says Destiny. “Even now, Dad will come home from work and tell me about his day and it sounds so interesting. He’s always so happy to go to work, where else can you get that?
“I actually studied law at university for four years, through Covid, but when I graduated I knew I could see a future in the fire service.”
For Wayne, her decision came as a surprise, but a welcome one: “I had to take some time to get my head around it! I then said, ‘I’d love you to join, but on one condition, make sure you work hard and get promoted’. She’s got such a skillset, she’d be a fantastic Officer.”
“She would always ask me about work when she was younger, and she was there when I passed out of training school, which makes it really special now.”
While they work separately, they’ve crossed paths on shouts: “We very rarely see each other now because we’re on opposite shifts,” says Destiny. “But we have been on a couple of shouts together and that’s always really special.”
Destiny first learned about Fire Fighters Charity during a terrifying time for their family.
“I got Covid really badly,” says Wayne. “I ended up in ICU for 10 days… they literally just had to put me to sleep for three of those days so I could recover.”
When he woke, he’d lost track of days. Soon after, he realised he was living with Long Covid: “The first sign was just struggling to walk. I was thinking, ‘why are my legs like jelly?’”
A colleague encouraged him to reach out, and he was offered a stay at Marine Court, our centre in West Sussex, on the Covid Recovery Programme. “I remember being a bit sceptical, but I really enjoyed it,” he says. “It was just the normalisation of what I was going through. The Physiotherapists and Exercise Therapists got me to the point where I could go home and continue building my strength.”
Source: London Fire Brigade
Destiny remembers the change clearly: “We saw such a difference. He mentioned his lungs felt stronger, it really helped his recovery. It was just so good for him to get away and chill out a bit.”
For Wayne, it opened his eyes to the support available for the whole family: “Knowing the support is there for Destiny now, and our family, is amazing.”
He’s also passed on the importance of talking after difficult shouts and says: “A lot of people don’t realise the impact of the job. I always talk about difficult shouts, that’s the way I cope. We sit around the mess table and talk it through which is really helpful.”
Source: London Fire Brigade
And it’s something Destiny learnt from her dad early on.
“Sometimes it’s easier to speak to your Watch, they truly get it,” she says. “That’s where I’m lucky with my Dad being in the fire service too, he really understands.
“When I first joined, I think it was the morning of my first night shift and we had awful fatality. I was traumatised to be honest, just distraught,” Destiny recalls.
“I kept telling people I was fine, but left and was in tears the whole way home. I called my dad and he helped calm me down and talked it through. He literally said, ‘when you got there, did you make the situation better?’ I knew I had, and that really helped me.”
Source: London Fire Brigade
Knowing her dad is there – and that wider support exists – gives Destiny reassurance now, and she says: “There’s so much support available through Fire Fighters Charity. There’s such a need for wellbeing support in the fire service and having the charity to always fall back on is amazing.”
If you feel you’d benefit from our health and wellbeing support, you can call our Support Line on 0800 389 8820, make an enquiry online or click below: