"I wanted to do something for the community that the kids could see and be proud of their mum, that she was contributing, but I wanted it to be meaningful and also a little bit exciting," she said.

"I have two boys and a girl and ... I wanted Amelia to see that women can do anything; it doesn't have to be a job classified just for women - we can be strong and independent - and I wanted the boys to see that women are accepted in a male-dominated workforce. I wanted them to see that women just don't have to sit at home."

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When Ms Maher clocked up a decade with FRNSW on September 15, she said "it wasn't a milestone I was trying to reach".

"It's just a part of my life," she said.

"The 10 years sort of crept up."

Among the changes Ms Maher has noticed over the years is an increased focus on safety, a drop in the number of house fires, and more females signing up to FRNSW.

Ms Maher was the only female in the brigade for eight years until recently, but she said "the boys" had always treated her "like a mate".

The firefighter said she liked the camaraderie among the crew and "everyone's always got along".

"We've been praised for our station, for our good morale," she said.

"We're respected by the community and trusted. We're probably one of the most trusted organisations in NSW.

"It's nice to know that we could potentially save someone."

Gunnedah Fire and Rescue captain David Welch said 10 years was "a massive achievement".

"It's a credit to Wendy and her family for all the sacrifices made," he said.