The Social Network & Community JUST for Firefighters
To all female firefighters and juniors/explorers
ok this is not a rant about gender equality in the firehouse per say but more of a gear issue. Recently i joined my department and was issued turnout gear, none of which actually fits me. I realize as a junior i don't need perfect gear since odds are against me being in danger at a fire scene but it makes running errands difficult. Ill give some examples:
My boots are mens size 8, i need a 6, currently i have socks stuffed in the toe to take up room
My bunkers are entirely to long for my 5'2 body
my jacket constricts my chest (you know what i mean)
now i realize i sound like im complaining and i guess i am but i was wondering if they made womens issue turnout gear.
Its hard to climb all over the truck to get tools if your pants go past your toes and you can turn around in your boots. Usually i get yelled at for being slow but honestly i am trying my best just to get to the place i need to be.
Any feedback would be appreciated (from men and women) as to how we should address this issue. Currently all female firefighters and juniors in my station face similar issues of gear not fitting properly. Do men have trouble in these area as well?
thank you and stay safe
Jessica
My boots are mens size 8, i need a 6, currently i have socks stuffed in the toe to take up room
My bunkers are entirely to long for my 5'2 body
my jacket constricts my chest (you know what i mean)
now i realize i sound like im complaining and i guess i am but i was wondering if they made womens issue turnout gear.
Its hard to climb all over the truck to get tools if your pants go past your toes and you can turn around in your boots. Usually i get yelled at for being slow but honestly i am trying my best just to get to the place i need to be.
Any feedback would be appreciated (from men and women) as to how we should address this issue. Currently all female firefighters and juniors in my station face similar issues of gear not fitting properly. Do men have trouble in these area as well?
thank you and stay safe
Jessica
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by BillySFCVFD on
-
Jessica,
Welcome to life's tests. My VFD issued gear doesn't fit the best either. It shouldn't be dangerous to work in though. Adapt and conquer. You are quite the posting queen. Keep it up. It's a great learning experience. TCSS
-
Permalink Reply by Jenny Holderby on
-
Jessica,
PPE is one of the first challenges we all have male or female. If it doesn't fit right it can be dangerous. If it does fit properly it is very often cumbersome & difficult to climb & run in. Spending any length of time it will make you tired just from the weight of it. It is a necessary evil.
I've had the problem myself of the pants being too long, & the sleeves being too long & the gloves not fitting. Boots are another issue all together, yes they do make boots for women that have a bigger calf but I didn't find them any earsier to deal with. I have short legs. I just got a pair of leather boots that don't come up as high as the old servus boots & are much easier to handle. About 4 yrs ago I got the first set of PPE that was made for ME when we purchased new gear for everyone & were actually measured for it.
You really would be better off using another type of footwear than the ones that don't fit, like a good leather work boot. You are going to kill yourself in boots that much too big. You can only compensate for 1 size too big by wearing heavier socks. You could break an ankle or a leg trying to compensate for your ill fitting boots.
It sounds like you actually need a bigger jacket. Is it the jacket or the suspenders? Suspenders are a pain, literally, I like the elastic type that adjust in the back. The hardware on them is more comfortable behind you.
Of course check with your chief or equipment officer before you do anything but you CAN make the pants shorter by tacking or basting a "hem" on the inside between the knee & ankle and it won't affect the integrity of the pants. Jackets are harder to make fit & its almost impossible to turn or roll the sleeves up on them like you would another jacket. Check with your officer about finding you some gear that fits a little better. PPE is outrageously expensive. If the gear you have been issued is old gear they aren't going to issue to anyone actively fighting fire perhaps they wouldn't mind if you altered it.
Be patient. I know that sounds like a cliche but the PPE issue is one every new fire fighter has to deal with. Usually after you have been around a while & busted your butt working hard, somebody will realize that you need different gear & try to dig some up for you or send it to be altered.
Here is a website you might be interested in:
http://search.freefind.com/find.html?id=63182653&pageid=r&m...
-
Permalink Reply by Tony P on
-
Jessica,
"odds are against me being in danger at a fire scene" - at 14, what the hell would you be doing near a fire scene anyway?
Anyway, your problems. I think Jenny has probaly given you the good advice, follow up on it.
Now the boots thing, as far as we're concerned that's one item of PPE that is never 'handed down' to new people. If you can possibly, possibly avoid it, never wear someone elses old boots. That's a no-no.. Get some money together and buy your self a pair of acceptable (to your Chief) boots. The best you can afford to last until you're a senior and get issued your own.
-
Permalink Reply by Jessica Travis on
-
well we respond to structure fires but mainly have assistance roles (loading hose, changing scba etc)
we have this huge box of boots, all randonly thrown in and you dig until you find two the same size or close. we get handed down everything and i mean everything. Since most guys have no need for a size 6 boot, we don't have any old ones for me. we might have to order some new gear though, recently we got a junior who is 4'10 90 pounds and wears a 4 in womens
-
-
I understand now about the on-scene bit. Juniors here are very different, it's simply a youth group for those aged 12 to 16. They do learn about firefighting, but they never turn out to jobs. Never. At 16 a person can, with parental approval, become a firefighter and start turning out, with a mentor. As they pick up the training, they could even be sent on internal attack - once again with an experienced member as their partner. (Mentoring lasts until they turn 18, which is adult for all purposes here)
We provide all new members with 2nd hand gear, but not boots. This is wildfire gear only until they qualify to that stage then they get issued with new, including new boots. As they obtain the structural qualifications, they get the structural gear.
I was in a Brigade a few years ago that had a very small female member - special boots had to be ordered for her, none at all held in her size. Size 3 - and they were really a size too large!
-
Permalink Reply by turk182 on
-
Is it possible that they only had those sizes close to yours available. In my department we issue what we have to outfit someone because we can not afford to go out and buy everyone tha joins new gear.
So we give them their gear and if they prove their selves and show us that we are not going to quit in a month or two the we will get them measured and buy them equipment to fit.
Talk to an officer and see if they can find you something closer to your size if available.
-
-
no i have dug through all the gear we have at two stations and they are the smallest already not claimed. they had a pair of 7's in mens but they used them for fundraising for the crusade for children and we never got the right one back. no its the same gear until you become a full firefighter then if you need it they will order you some.
-
-
well mostly its the jacket, its older and has the hooks like the ones on bunkers. well the last guy to use them had modified them and it just won't work right for me. my suspenders are fine and actually kinda loose (i like it that way) ill talk to my advisers and see if they have a problem with me putting a hem in them. thank you. When you join you and a couple other juniors go upstairs look through this mountain of old worn out gear and find whatever works. you trade out until everything works as best as your gonna get it
-
Permalink Reply by Jay Nicholson on
-
Your getting hand me downs. To be blunt, you should be grateful that your dept. even has something that comes close to your size. I would not expect any dept to purchase new gear for any Jr/Explorer. But I would demand that at such time asyou become a FF1, capable of responding to all of your dept calls, the dept purchase you a new set of proper fitting PPE.
-
-
We were switching out some gear the other night to outfit some of our probies taking their basic training. One of them looked @ one of our Jrs & asked why the jr had better gear than his. I said "Cause he's the only other person on the FD that is 7ft tall & 1ft wide like ___ was." Of course he isn't really built that way but he is tall & slim. Another guy asked why one of the girls (jr) has better gear. I asked him if he wanted to try on her bunker pants & where he suggested I find the stuff to add the 6" to the bottom of them or would he rather I cut 6" off the bottom of him?
When they get certified, we will order gear for them.
The Jrs & the associate members get what we find that works for them. The new gear is tan, older gear is yellow, OLD gear is black. Most of them are mis matched but all they need is warm, dry & VISIBLE.
Associate members are over 18yrs old and want to help but don't want to be certified fire fighters. They do basically the same kind of things the jrs do on-scene. They can gofer & do rehab & manage air tanks & tools, help get equipment back on the trucks & walk, drag & roll hose. Back @ the station our associates & Jrs are great. They do everything that needs done except fight fire.
-
Permalink Reply by Brian Richards on
-
Well,
Welcome to the club. I was off probation for 2 years before I got my new gear(see profile pic). And I love it. Having that old gear made me really appreciate this stuff when I got it. We have newbs in gear that is too short too big too small too everything. The only thing I have to say is find the right person, make some pertinent points, not using the whiny voice, and deal with it for a while. If and when you are allowed to go into the hot zone is when I would make a big stink about it, because then it is a safety issue. But like in the first comment, one of life's tests.
-
-
one of our junior officers made a big deal about a new junior getting brand new gear, basically our adviser told him that he was welcome to have her gear. She's 4'10 90 pounds and wears a 4 in womens shoes. he's 6'5 and 240. He didn't say anything after that. i think he got the poing thats is was about need not want
© 2024 Created by Firefighter Nation WebChief.
Powered by
