Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Sara Harig on August 28, 2007 at 7:07pm

I was first introduced to the idea of joining the department here when my husband was being asked by one of the members if he was intrested in joining. I asked him to get me an application. The guy laughed and said that " our chief will never allow a woman to be on our department." I then laughed at him and said, " watch me be the first." Now I have about half of our department (including one other female) ranked under me. It's funny how much harder a woman can work and better a woman will do when she is told that she cannot do something.

Permalink Reply by IDoItAll on September 10, 2007 at 10:16pm

Here we go.... I was the first woman in my county to join the fire department. I was talked into it by my brother in law who was Chief at the time. He wanted me to be an EMT and that was why I joined but my first fire and I was hooked! Being the first and only woman was a nightmare. I had more problems from the women (wives and girlfriends) than most of the guys. I live in a very small rural area and rumors are the way of life for some of these people. I was first accused of being a lesbian and it was said that I really wanted to be a man that was why I was there. I have been accused of sleeping with almost the whole county and I haven't done any of it! Several guys quit the station when I joined because they said a woman didn't belong there! I have had to work twice as hard to get half the recognition as the guys. When I was made an officer several guys said they would never take orders from a woman, well guess what? They are! I have come soo close to quitting sooo many times and some of the guys who are my friends have stood by me and got me through it. I think sometimes because of their negativity I have been that much more determined to show them what I got. I am a firefighter and an EMT and I am very active in my station. I am a Captain and Vice President. I am also an officer in the county fire association.I have been there 14 years now and counting. Most of the guys are the greatest, they have stood by me and stood up for me and I love them to death. I hang out with a bunch of guys and as a single woman that puts a hurt to my social life but they are my family. I have had guys tell me that I intimidate them and they can't handle being in a relationship with me. So be it, this is what I am. I love what I do and I am good at it. We have had women join thinking it is a dating service and they add to the bad name for women, I make sure they are informed that this is not going to be taken kindly and they don't last long. Now that I am an older member, I find myself in the role of mothering alot of the young guys, and being big sister to the rest. I love what I do and don't plan on leaving anytime soon. The guys and me carry on and joke around and I am one of the guys to most of them now, they have finally accepted me but it was hard going for a few years and still has it's moments. But I would not change anything I have been through. It has made me the person I am and proved to me that I am a strong person. I know that I am there for the right reasons, not to make anyone my fan base.

Permalink Reply by Jenny on December 19, 2007 at 12:47am

I think every dept has some of each type of women. I know I have seen a few in the 13 years I've been on. most of the time I am one of the guys, they don't usually treat me any different than they do each other. unless we have a drug or druggy start giving me problems on a call, then it is like having about 30 big brothers. which is ok. I guess I am very lucky. We have had a few "FireDogs' as we call them. Fortunately they don't usually last long.

Permalink Reply by Firegal77 on January 4, 2008 at 3:51pm

From the time I was a little girl I worked hard. We did a lot of logging and lived very remotely, hauling water etc. I didnt have your "standard" upbringing. I always had a heart for helping others in need, and my mom always said I should be an EMT cause I was always bringing home hurt animals and nursing them back to health. I remember when some snowmobilers were buried in an avalanche right next to our home(in Montana) and I just wanted to help. My friends parents were EMT firefighters and i had never known this about them. They were up there working all day, and I wanted to be in their position so bad, helping out. I left home when I was 16 and went to college for massage and herbal medicinal plants and edible wild plants. Was/is still useful information for me, but wasnt really satisfying my needs for work, plus I had carpal tunnel starting in my wrists that made it difficult. At the age of 17 I decided to move to Colorado. On the way I had everything I owned stolen and was left without even Identification or money.( They eventually caught the guy) So I ended up in Oregon(where my dad lived) working at an assisted living facility. I did well taking care of the elderly, but it still wasnt quite what I wanted to be doing. After I got my feet back under me I moved back to Montana to spend a bit of time up in the mountains, then it was off to Colorado again. I arrived at the base of the popular 14, 000 foot peaks at the age of 19 and started working construction. I built everything from the foundation to roofing. and gained a good reputation quickly. Along the way I made friends with the fire chief(a group of us went out swing dancing 3-4 times a week) At some point he asked me if I would be interested in joining the fire department. It was like it just clicked..I knew it was what I wanted to do. So I immediately signed up. I quickly discovered that it was for me. I loved every minute of it, and was hungry to learn as much as I could. I first focused on wild land fire as that was mainly what we dealt with. I also joined the local search and rescue team and signed up for the ambulance. At this point I met my husband, and one year later we had a baby. I took a bit of time off the Fire, though still ran ambulance. 3years later my husband passed away from a bad blood transfusion during surgery. To be expected, the fire department was there for emotional support, and before you knew it I was living above the fire house and going full bore. I was quickly voted into training officer position because of my drive to learn all the equipment and go to every training. Along the way I started running a local fire mitigation crew through the fire department. Over the course of 4 years, work started to dwindle, and it was a struggle to survive, then the ultimate blow was that most of my friends(the support that I had for childcare as well) moved out of town. I realised that I needed to make a major change in order to make ends meet. At first I called all of the paid fire departments to get a feel for what I could do. I couldnt figure out how to work a 24 hour shift in a new place where I didnt know anyone for that kind of childcare, plus we were simply not city people. I decided to get into trauma nursing( to support my volunteer habits lol). It was apparent that I couldnt make it happen where I was at, without work, or support and the only school was 60 miles away with a very long waiting list for nursing. I went to Montana to fight fires for the summer and look into schools around my mom. I offered my help at a local volunteer department as well. At first there was apprehension from the boys because I was a girl, but after the first call, and getting hit with 2 tornadoes(yes in Montana!) I had their full respect, and friendship. the unfortunate thing was that I couldnt make it happen for nursing there, and was on a mission. My friends had found a college way over in DE that was one of the last hands on nursing programs. At first i didnt even want to consider the move to the east coast, but the more i researched schools the better it looked. So, I said goodbye to my friends in Montana and hit the road again. Now here we are in Delaware. I am in school full time, working part time at a local store, and just got voted onto the local fire department, though it took what seemed like a very long time to get approved. It has finally happened. I have been warned that several people may not be real friendly to me at first( because I am a girl) but I am excited anyway, and am hoping that it will be like Montana and after that first call they will be a bit more open. Unfortunately, it sounds like they may require me to retake my EMT and FF1 which I am not thrilled about but the other option is to give up fire, so here we go! lol And the rest will unfold through time....
Hey, you asked! LOL ;o)

Permalink Reply by Kimberly Pence on January 7, 2008 at 8:23am

Ok here's my story. When I first started in the fire dept. it wasn't to bad for me because we are a small town and most of the guys knew me .....well sorta. Of course there was a few who thought she is a (girl) so its not happening but i have always been one to carry my own weight and only ask for help if needed!! My husband is also on the dept. so i know he will not come out of a burning building to help me because i'm a girl but he know unless i need the help I will not ask for it. So when it came time for me to take my level I class it was very interesting. Out of two classes there where only three females me and two others , one was a teeny bopper princess who was very girly and pulled that i'm a girl can you help me crap and the other one well she was sorta the same way and of course they were both in my night class. So as the course continued the other ladies were the type who needed help and all the guys were more than happy to help which bothered me because unless i try and know that i can't do it i don't ask for help. So one time in class (mind you my husband was in the class too) there was a difficult task to do and both classes were combined and some smart alleck decided that he was going to help me because i was a girl and since the other two always let the guys do things for them that I was in that same category, all the while my husbands in the background telling this guy to back off but of course he didn't listen. So in a not so nice way I told him to back off in front of everyone I also told him that if i can't do it on my own the first time then i would ask for help but until then step the h*** off but thanks lol ever since then i earned the respect of all the guys my husband did the i told you so thing laughing the whole time and i found my place in this wonderful job of firefighting!!! I'm not afraid to ask for help but i'm also not afraid to try it by myself first!!!!

Permalink Reply by Kelly on January 11, 2008 at 4:44am

I joined my department in 2000. My husband was the Assistant Chief at the time(and still is). The department had some women on prior to me joining. They just wanted to "hang" around all the guys and not do any of the work. When I joined I busted my butt to prove to them that I was there to do the job and not "hang" all over the guys. I did what I was asked and never said anything. I finally was able to prove to them that not all women are bad. Some actually do care enough to do the job. In the following year, 2 more women joined the department. One of the best things I can remember (and will never forget) is we were called for mutal aid to a neighboring county for a house fire. Myself, the 2 other women and 2 males responded. We went and helped fight the fire. Well one of our FF's had been to a meeting in that county and when they found out he was from our department, they asked him "how do you get your females to fight fire like that"? He told them we are not treated and different then the men. When he got back to our department from the meeting he told us those guys over there think you ladies walk on water. He said they had never seen women do the job like we did. That made us feel very good that someone appreciated what we do.
My Chief has always said that he would put any of this ladies up against any male FF anyday. He is proud of what we have done. I have since been promoted to Captain for the last 3 years. That was quite a shock the first year. I don't really care about the title, I am just glad that all the hard work I have done to prove to them I could do the job was noticed. I wish the "Good Ol Boy" times were gone, but I know there are still departments out there that think like that. To them the only thing a woman was good for was to bring them food at a scene. Sorry boys....those days are over!!!!! My advice to ladies is, hang in there and prove it's not a mans world. (anything a man can do...a woman can do better)

Permalink Reply by MD on February 29, 2008 at 4:43pm

I met my husband at my 2nd meeting at the fire department, so he has the exact same experience as me. However, he is a much better firefighter! Still, I don't discount myself, and I don't think my being a female hurts my ability to be a firefighter (except I'm not as mean as many of the men I work with). I think that my own personal weaknesses are the only things that affect my firefighting abilities - and I don't attribute them to my sex. However, I have also slowed my career down for my husband - he had to get the good job first! I took a year or so off to have 2 kids, and it was so hard to watch my husband go off to calls (as a volunteer) while I sat at home. But kids do grow up! Good luck when you get back in the business! I have done much better after I quit and joined back up, and I was also able to distance myself from my husband in the fire service. That helped a ton - to be my own firefighter!

Permalink Reply by Brandy Miller on March 5, 2008 at 8:25pm

I have growed up in the fire service were my father is a chief, When I first started here people had started talking that I got hired on because of him, that was not the case I had to fight for the job. The director at the time did not want to hire me because of my father. I had to prove myself that I could do the job and that I did not want the job just because of him and that it was something that I really wanted to do with my life.. It took several months before the director finally decided to give me a chance, Now I am an EMT-IV, FF 1, Swifterwater 1 &2, Extraction Tech, PHTLS, and a Engineer. After having several houses fires with the guys and getting the job done, the guys here see me as one of them. The guys that I work with have told other people and agencies that they will take me in a house fire any day and that I can get the job done. But my father and I work on different shifts on therefore we really never see each other, and that saves on the all conflict that would take place, plus I think we are better off. But while I was in all my training he was harder on me than he was on his shift. But I was glad of that...

Permalink Reply by Firechick_NC on March 7, 2008 at 9:26am

Hello everyone, I'm new here and found this and just had to read your stories. And I found myself in some way agreeing with and knowing what you all have went through. I've been a volunteer firefighter for 14 years now and was raised around it my whole life, so I'm proud to be carrying on a family tradition. It's in my blood and a part of my life and always will be. I'm in a very small rural area where everybody knows everybody which lead to the whole "rumor" issue for awhile, but that has since passed.

When I first joined the department, I was met with the usual reception from the guys, until they found out I was serious about it, and truly had the department at heart. Now they treat me just like one of them and we're like one big family. And I'm not one of these women who demands to be treated equal and all that bull. I know I'm not as strong as the guys are, and I know that there are things they can do better. And I dont mind a bit asking them to help me do something. They treat me like the girl next door/sister/mother all in one, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I do have a question though, I'm just wondering if anyone else has met these problems with other women. As I said before I've been there for 14 years and have gained the guys respect, so when another woman joins, I always get the same treatment from them, they accuse me of being hateful to them, accuse the guys of being "all over" me when we're training or on a call and so on. But They dont realize I didn't just get to this point with the guys overnight, it took a long time and thats not my fault, but yet women who join dont like me because of that. Just random stuff I was wondering if anyone else had faced. Thanks girls for everything you do!!

Permalink Reply by firegirl73 on March 9, 2008 at 11:25pm

Hello ladies! I'm new here, and have been enjoying your stories. I just had my 1 year fire service anniversary. I really haven't had any trouble with the guys, they are really good to me. i feel like i have to work a little harder to prove that i can do almost as much, but i am not afraid to let them know if i'm not strong enough or tall enough and it's ok with them. the biggest "problem" i have is that they are all very over protective so i'm afraid that when i am interior qualified (2 more wks left of class!!) the chief will never let me go in! at an area fire dept party a guy from another dept was flirting with me, and my guys tossed him, told his chief, and got him into big trouble. i felt really bad about the whole thing, but i'm secretly glad that they are keeping an eye on me!
i am one of 3 females in our department. 1 is an emt only, the other is interior and retired emt. she doesn't respond to very many calls, so i'm pretty much the only girl around. i don't really get along with the emt only gal, she starts trouble with all. the other lady and i get along well now, but it took a few months to prove to her that i wasn't going to be "trouble", she was really the toughest on me, but that's ok, she was never catty or mean, she just wanted to be sure i was there for the right reason. if another woman joins under me, i'll probably be the same to her. my husband joined a few months after me, and it took some getting used to for both of us. all in all, i wish i had started this adventure earlier in life, but i will enjoy til the end now!! thanks to all of you, and stay safe!!

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