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Women in the fire service(honest opinion)
Hola,
Just wanted to get some honest feed back about how men feel about having women serve as FF. Please be very honest! The reason for this is:
1. I have witnessed society feels women can't do this job- we are to fragile , etc.
2. People think women that work around a bunch of men must be easy or having relations with at least one of the them
3. Sexual harrassment issues arise more often
4. Some men have trouble taking orders from a woman (or vice versa)
These are just a few of the things I have seen or heard about.. Please share y you feel this way
Just wanted to get some honest feed back about how men feel about having women serve as FF. Please be very honest! The reason for this is:
1. I have witnessed society feels women can't do this job- we are to fragile , etc.
2. People think women that work around a bunch of men must be easy or having relations with at least one of the them
3. Sexual harrassment issues arise more often
4. Some men have trouble taking orders from a woman (or vice versa)
These are just a few of the things I have seen or heard about.. Please share y you feel this way
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Spanner 122 on
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I'm not sure that all women believe they need to prove that they belong here (especially if you mean a forum... lol). I do not feel the need to prove to "men" that I belong on the job, I do although, feel I need to prove it to my Capt and to my crew... not as a woman, but as a firefighter. I think the gender issue is not as big a deal as some like to make it (male or female). I have to agree, there are some men who are completely against women being in the fire service, some of these men are also completely against their wives having job, and would likely take away the right to vote if they could (clearly not all who are opposed have these strong views).
There are women who will get on the job and work hard, there are others who will get on and unwittingly attempt to ruin it for the rest of us and then there are some who want to get hired to do "part of the job" because there's "room for everyone in the fire service" and as far as I'm concerned that is a big problem. There isn't room for everyone on this job, there is room for everyone who is able to do whatever their officer or crew needs, no questions asked.
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Permalink Reply by Katreena on
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why does this question come up? Not like you can change it now... some departmetns may, but it's not going to completely do it everywhere! I don't think it matters at all if a female is on the fire dept... if someone has a problem with it, tough! women are into it now, and there's no stppping us! :) If a woman has "weak" spot to one of her jobs, thats why we have "brothers" and "sisters" to help eachother out, or vice versa... i've seen it happen men! anyway, just wanted to put my opinion in! stay safe.
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Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on
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Why is there all of this talk of discrimination in a profession where we have one of the most INDISCRIMINATE killers known to civilization?
FIRE simply doesn't care. It will burn down metal, brick, concrete or wood. It will devour miles upon miles of lush natural resources.
AND it will kill young, old, the strong, the weak, male, female, all races, civilians AND FIREFIGHTERS.
FIRE shows no preference. FIRE doesn't care.
We need people who are willing to make a difference. PEOPLE.
Art
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Permalink Reply by Engineco913 on
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Isn't is amazing? The fire we fight doesn't discriminate, yet the people who fight it sometimes do?
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There is a small grouping of men in the world who have the "my wife should be pregnant, barefoot in the kitchen attitude. This Neandrathal mentality and personality can be attributed to some (who discriminate) viewing women as a weaker race, and or as sexual objects only. I have seen women who could work circles around some of the men at fire scenes so I don't understand why they would get anything like that fixated in their thought process. Sexual harassment still occurs in most firehouses (some isn't called harrassment because "it's just messing around") A stricted non discrimination/sexual harassment policy could potentially weed out some of the folks who create the issues against women in the fire service.
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I abhour the word discrimination because I don't think any of us understand the true meaning of this word. We have come a long way from women being owned by their fathers and then by their husbands (North America of course), BUT there is still animosity, fear and denial that we are the same species (of course this goes on between the races as well, but for now, I'm speaking of gender). I truly don't know why people can't get it throug their heads that men and women ARE different... the "If a man can do it a woman can do it" mentality is wrong, and vice versa. There are some things on this job that I cannot do like a man with greater strength and there are things he cannot do that require a certain level of flexibility. I don't believe women are always more empathetic than men or are better consolers. I simply believe there are innate differences in men and women and pretending their aren't will make an even bigger problem than realizing it. Be who you are, do your job, work hard, stay in shape. Realize your limitations.
I agree, it's not rocket science. If you can't do the work, it can kill you, male or female. If you can do the work, it can sometimes still kill you. This is not a ground for division and differences.
BUT... all of that being said, some women are going to keep beating their chests saying, "LET ME IN, I DESERVE RESPECT" (without proving it) and some men are going to keep beating their chests saying the opposite without being able to disprove it. And then there are the rest of us who are lucky enough to realize we have the best profession, dangerous or not, and we count our lucky stars enough that we have no time for demands, fights or feeling disrespected . (unless we're talking about city council)
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So where is the line drawn. Men pick on men constantly. Some discuss each others wives, make comments penis size, inability to have sex with their wives, play practical jokes, etc, etc, so when a woman is involved, it's harrassment? Is it not harrassment when they are doing this to each other? And yet no one finds anything wrong with it. I am not saying there is anything wrong with it, because frankly the banter and sometimes trash talk is part of the reason I enjoy my job so much!! lol Sometimes I blush at what is said or have nothing to say in response, is that when I am supposed to feel that it is harrassment or that someone is harrassing another? I truly am not sure where the line would be drawn. But I do know, without the banter, pranks and "silliness" for lack of a better word, some of those shifts at the firehouse would be incredibly long.
Know what I'm saying? I'm sure sexual harrassment is still around, look at the mess Richmond, BC has gone through over the past few years. It's embarrassing. I have never once felt harrassed in any way. Not once, maybe I haven't been on the job long enough. I don't know, I think too many people have chips on their shoulders one side or the other. Will it ever change? I have my doubts, we can only control ourselves and our reactions to situations, right?
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Permalink Reply by Reggie Cervantes on
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I spent some time working with some mental midgets. From the Top Down the boss and a senior instructor felt women were "bitches" and didnt belong in EMS. Later he ended up being hired by the private company I worked with and created a hostile environment for women. If you didnt sleep with him,he assigned you to work with other pigs. One tour I had to work with a trainee who decide to stroke it in front of me. My partner was afraid to stand up and take some heat. I fixed it so that the idiot would not ever exhibit it again in front of a woman by swinging my mike in circle and striking his manhood into submission!
Though my partner did not want to speak up he had no problem laughing at the situation when he told the story. Eventually the word got out. People respected the fact that I handled it and stood up for myself. Unfortunately, the creep felt the need to attempt it again on an unsuspecting rookie and got his ass kicked as well both of them fired!
The biggest problem is that others wont step up and say CUT IT OUT when they see this UNPROFESSINOAL behavior happening. If that happened, more people would realize its unacceptable. The calling out can happen both ways. Telling someone they are playing chicken little and to stop saying the sky is falling when its not about sexual harrassment even though they feel the need to use it is just as important.
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Thats good that you found a "differant" approach to dealing with it (ouch). Another helpful resource in aiding in preventing this was the invention of the "camera phone" See how professional they feel when you show the higher ups the proof of video and sound of the incident in question, and whe they ask others who were there and "see nothing" they are also accountable for whats occured for not interfering
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Permalink Reply by Jeremy Phillips on
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I don't understand what some peoples problem is with ladies in the fire service. My last partner at the fire house is a female. When she first started, I had to get her to understand that there are no mens jobs or womens jobs in the fire service, just firefighter duties. Once that was behind us, she has grown to be a very good and dedicated firefighter. Anyone, male or female, as long as they are physically capable has the potential to be a good firefighter. As for sexual harrassment, at the firehouse, there are no girls and guys, we are all just a big family. If something offends someone, they should be adult enough to tell them it bothers them, and if it doesn't change, take it through the chain of command. Once people bring lawyers and suits against a fire department, it has a long lasting effect on that department. I feel like we are all adults and also feel that females in the fire service are actually essential. I know that if i have a female patient, I would like to have a female service member, whether fire or ems, present while checking the patient. I have fought fire shoulder to shoulder with females and never thought twice that they were a female. Plain and simply, if a person can do the job, Leave them alone, if they can't, TRAIN with them until they can do the job safely. Let no firefighter be left behind.
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Permalink Reply by Stardust Watson on
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I think that women fire fighters are ok to have. when you join a department dont we all become family. at least thats how my fire department feels. everyone works together as one. if or when you see week sides on either side everyone should work with that person to help them out to get better and stronger.. and if there is worry's that bother you take it to that person and explain and give her or him the chance to respond. just maybe you can become a friend or a stronger family in return.
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Permalink Reply by Carl on
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I have seen some great firefighters that were women, and seen alot of peoples reaction when they see my wife take off her helmet. The whole time they were talking about how great of a job this person was doing and then they were very suprised to see that it was a lady they were talking about.
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