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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 David Rebhan on
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My Ex-Wife has been a firefighter for many years and has proven herself to be able to "hang" with the boys - If you can do the job, you might as well have the job.......thaats my personall opinion on the deal
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Permalink Reply by mark on
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My Feelings on it is that as long as you can perform like the guys i have no problem mostly what it comes down to is if something were to happen to me IE: Pass Out/Knocked out/Hurt/Traped She would Need To Be Strong to perform these tasks
on a side note When i Went Though Fire School We Had One Woman And She Could Not Do Anything
That Was Taxing But When It Came Done To Medical Stuff She Was the One You Wanted With
You She Also Kicked Butt At HAZMAT. So I Think What Im Saying Is The As Long As You Can Keep Up Were cool
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Permalink Reply by Firerescue9631 on
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I have been a FF for many years and worked on a paid dept and vol. I have seen men and women both come and go. It dont matter if your male or female as long as you can do the job!!! Now with some vol. companys i see alot of women join because of there hubby or boyfriend and just want to hangout, But the worst is when you get a female that joins and there hubby is an officer and they think they know everything because she sleeps with him......Dont get me worng I had a female partner and she was great she saved my life one day and I owe her eveything......Again if you can do the job (MALE OR FEMALE) it dont matter what gender you are!!!!
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Permalink Reply by Sam on
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In my opinion, women can do the exact same job as guys. hell, when i go to maine to start ff1 &ff2 there is goin to be five to ten girls in that class, so if anyone says that women cant do the same stuff, their wrong.
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Permalink Reply by Preston Thompson on
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The fact that society looks at females as "weak, fragile, housewives, kitchendwellers," are all due to the constant bashing that you poor females got throughout the earlier days when the "men" of the household were the backbone and you basically had one job - keep control, and maintain the household - aint that easy? I know the more and more you look into today's society you see a larger amount of single mothers who are VP's or are in more manager positions than you saw back in the 50's and even into the late 80's. I think a lot of this uprise in female strength is a threat to the males ego because he's been in control - in his head - since he started that freakin fire.
The other reason that people, or general media, think that females that are on a volunteer or paid fire dept just to get some booty...well, that's well played out BY the media in itself. How many movies do you see that the females are turned on by a firefighter, policeman, or simply a man in uniform? It's just another stereotype that has stuck to the female general population and it will have to remain there until more females are busting ass in the same field as men, but aren't doing anything else meanwhile. ;) You get me? I'm not nocking anyone that is dating a firefighter in the same station, sure it could get a little awkward if you two split up and you're stuck in a fire....I mean, what pissed off person would want to grab that "lying, backstabbing asshole" out of the fire... My point exactly.
Sexual harrassment is something that should never be taken kindly. MEN - if there is a girl in your firehouse that's good looking, think twice. ( Not all women are this way, of course. ) Let's think with our heads for once, the ones on your shoulders. If that same woman is in your firehouse, and she is as good looking as you think ...leave her be. She should be treated just as you would treat a co-worker at any other job. Last time I checked there are policies about co-worker relations. ;) Basically, the line is dry and cuts at " Don't do it. " I used to work at a place that if you were found courting someone you worked with, you were fired. Those were the rules and I think those are great rules, because then that just cuts in the the whole being professional deal.
Men are always going to have trouble taking orders from females and in that saying alone...it contradicts itself.
I beleive that any person can have trouble taking orders from someone else who is of the same age, or who has been doing the same thing as the other person put in charge. This comes to be a problem when the person who's under the person in charge knows as much as the person in charge because then that person begins to question everything the "leader" is saying. In the service, there is a reason why there are ranks. Ranks don't only show how long you've been in the service, but they display how much you KNOW about your service and your duties. So therefore, when a Sgt tells a E-1 to do something, the E-1 does it without question because he obviously doesn't know shit compared to that Sgt.
It's something that will honestly go on forever and ever...and you know, this is just the same as men or a council not wanting a female as president. Okay, let's NOT go there...that will just open even more worms...just a prime example.
To you VIFirewoman -- if you feel threatened with all of these things, the only thing you can do is prove all of them wrong. You already know this, so just keep doing what you do, the best you can, and give it everything you got. If you know your job, you know your expectations, so if that means hauling some 6'1 240lb dude out of a building -- you better be able to pull out that silverback. ;)
I hope I made sense...I'm new, and just wanted to post my 2 cents. :)
"Think Twice, React Once, Stay Safe"
-Preston T
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Permalink Reply by Joe Kerr on
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personally i dont like it my department got our first female member about 1 year ago and nobody was very happy.she is treated like a token and frankly it pisses me off. she has caused so many waves since she became a member. o well if you dont get your fire schooling in within your first two years you are automatically expelled. she has made no attempt to go to any training. as a junior i have to get off the truck when a reg member tells me to. thats fucked up when i have over 300+ hours of training and the dumb bitch cont even hit a hydrant, throw a ladder, or even call enroute let alone pack up. all she likes to do is go to parades and complain bout stupid shit. i have been around the department since i was born and i have only met 1 (thats right) one women worthy of being called a firefighter.thats my 2 cents. i did not mean to offend any one except for the girl i was talking about. it good to let outta little steam. lol
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Permalink Reply by Barbara Nelson on
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I do not believe that there is any one MAN in the service that can pull out a 6'1" 240lb firefighter by himself. That is why there are RIT teams not RIT person. You do bring out a lot of valid points in your comment that I do agree with.
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We had a girl like that in our department, every time she did not want to do something "her blood sugar would drop" She was a waste of space on the engine as far as I was concerned when some one else could be there that would do the job. I was glad when she left.
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Permalink Reply by VIFirewoman on
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I am back! I have been MIA for a second with life and union stuff. I have also been mived from station to station for 7 months..I REALLY enjoyed reading all the posts. I felt like half of you could read my mind!
So listen to this- I went to a retired ff funeral today and was asked to carry the casket with the guys from my squad.. In the process I was asked at least 20+ times if I was sure I could lift it!! I was so annoyed to say the least.
Yes it was heavy but I did it with my guys.. Afterward an older man came up to me and was like you are my hero such a strong little lady.. It made my day..
I watched the mens faces and they were impressed I watched the ladies faces and it seemd liked they were threatened.. wispering and staring as I spoke to my coworkers... Life is strange
Why is it most women would never want to do this job but still hate you for doing it.. When I go to a fire and I am dressed out no one ever knows I am a women .. After the job is done and I take off my helmet the expression on a mans face is wow; on a womens face is ewe! Y is that...
My hats off to all fire fighters male or female but ladies we are few and should be proud of what we do ( for those of us who do it)!!
I have been in for two years now and for the most part have the respect of my male coworkers... I would be lying if I said that given the opppertunity to go beyond a working a relationship most men would jump at the chance but it no onedisrespectful and with men and women that is a part of life....
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Permalink Reply by Sara Hall on
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Ouch...well...i have 4 years worth of training, i can't pack up yet because im not 18, but i can throw ladder...back up at barn fires or grass fires, don't kick anyone out of the truck when needed, i just ride the second due, we get there right after each other, i can hit a hydrant, couple and un couple a hose faster than half the guys, and do it without worrying about breaking a nail...there are alot of us out there that are worthy of being called firefighters...this girl needs a reality check
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Permalink Reply by Mike Orbell on
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Right on!
It's nice to see that another person has the same frame of mind as I do'' . On my department there is a large majority of female's and I would put my ass on the line for any one of them as would they for me. And I wouldn't put it past them to any aspect to do better than me at anything. Besides having women on the department tames us guys down a bit. So they say''
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10/4!
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