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Sabrina Cohen-Hatton is among the few women who have reached the highest levels of the fire service.
Sabrina Cohen-Hatton balances her role as one of the UK’s most senior female firefighters with her position as a Research Fellow at Cardiff University, where she specializes in behavioural neuroscience, particularly in how people make decisions under pressure. She has also been appointed as the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) International Lead and is the author of The Heat of The Moment – A Firefighter’s Stories of Life and Death Decisions.
Sabrina’s journey has been marked by resilience and determination from a young age. At fifteen, she was homeless on the streets of Wales, selling The Big Issue for two years before finding stable accommodation and joining the fire service at eighteen. While working as a firefighter, she pursued her education, earning a degree from the Open University and later a PhD in Psychology from Cardiff University. Sabrina rose through the ranks to become one of the highest-ranking women officers in the fire service, serving in some of the country’s largest fire brigades while continuing her academic research. Her work on decision-making under pressure in emergency services has not only won awards but has also influenced global policy.
As a researcher, Sabrina explores the fundamentals of decision-making, behaviour, and cognition. In her role as a fire officer, she draws on her first-hand experience of how these processes function in real-life, high-stress situations. She studies how the brain interprets information and how events are linked to long-term psychological and social responses.
In her best-selling book, The Heat of The Moment, Sabrina shares her formative experiences and life on the frontline, offering deep insights into the challenges of one of the most dangerous professions. From deciding when to evacuate a building to choosing which of her colleagues should enter a blaze, she provides an honest, human perspective on the highs and lows of firefighting. While these stories are rooted in fire and rescue work, her insights and lessons are applicable to broader aspects of life and business.
In The Gender Bias: The Barriers That Hold Women Back, And How To Break Them, Sabrina examines studies and data to explore why women are judged differently, why it matters, and offers practical solutions for tackling biases and dismantling systemic barriers.
Since 2023, Sabrina has been an ambassador for The Royal Foundation’s Homewards charity. In this role, she collaborates with Prince William on a five-year, locally-led initiative aimed at demonstrating that, together, we can end homelessness.
Sabrina explores the intricacies of decision making under extreme pressure, sharing insights from her award-winning research and real-life experiences as a firefighter. She offers strategies to improve critical thinking and quick decision-making in stressful situations.
Sabrina dissects the persistent barriers women face in professional environments. By drawing from her research and personal experiences, she provides practical solutions for recognising and overcoming gender bias, empowering women to break through systemic challenges.
Sabrina could narrate her inspiring journey from homelessness to becoming a top-ranking fire officer. She illustrates how resilience and determination can drive social mobility, motivating others to overcome personal and professional obstacles.
Sabrina is living proof of how far resilience and a positive mindset can take you. With her remarkable ability to captivate her audience and encouragement to slow down and reflect – I recommend Sabrina as your guest speaker without hesitation.”
Our attendees really enjoyed her inspiring story and it was continually referenced throughout the rest of the meeting.”
Inspirational Speakers has been providing high profile keynote speakers and entertainers for over 25 years.
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