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Women in the Fire Service
In my opinion, there are 3 different types of women in the fire service:
Option 1- The 'chick' firefighter- This is a highschool/college age girl who is there because her daddy is the fire chief or something to that effect, and she won't let you forget who her dad is, either. She shows up for no calls, but still buys pink nomex because its 'cute'. She has no training, doesn't want it, and wears too much makeup. She hangs out with the guys to flirt and when out on any type of detail, stops to put on another coat of lipgloss. Draws her department name in bubble letters in her notebooks. Keeps her fingernails long and painted. Doesn't like to get hands dirty. A total princess. Can't really call her a firefighter.
Option 2- The 'female' firefighter- Less 'OMG LOL' than the 'chick' firefighter. Demands constant accomodations for her gender, female specific gear, has pink rescue gloves. Screams 'you have no idea how hard it is to be a female firefighter' to gain sympathy in arguements. Corrects people when they address the group with 'Hey guys'. Look at her funny and she'll make a complaint. Might bring her kids to station to terrorize people. Wears pink and light blue female-specific fire/ems shirts, especially "PROUD FEMALE FIREFIGHTER" ones. Goes on some calls, not many, and mostly stays by the truck. Heeps her hair in a ponytail. Gets hands dirty but complains for a week. A 'female firefighter'.
Option 3- The firefighter- She makes more calls than you, she could kill you by dropping her book of certifications on your head. No pink gear, her rescue gloves are just smaller than yours. She hates it when people get politically correct, shes one of the guys and she loves it. Cracks dirtier jokes than the guys. She trains constantly, and strives to do everything better. Doesn't want to be seen as a female. People come to her for advice because she's androgenous enough to give both girl advice AND guy advice. Shows up to station for a call with no makeup, because the fire doesn't care if her skin is bad. Not only gets her hands dirty, but gets in there before anyone else. Not a princess. A firefighter. No prefix needed.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jack/dt on
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Option 3....Option 3....rings a bell, trying to think who that reminds me of...it'll come to me.
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Permalink Reply by N. Stewart on
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Well then more female firefighters should learn to read so they can learn a thing or two. And I'm pretty sure an Option 1 killed the horse.
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Permalink Reply by Spanner 122 on
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lol... very true! Except, I have to say, I have no problem being a woman. Just because I am a firefighter, that does not stop me from wearing make up and doing my hair when I am off. I own 53 pairs of shoes, 12 purses and a locker full of nail polish. I love pink, a fellow firefighter bought me a window punch/seat belt cutter in pink (the civilian ones you can put on your keychain) and yes, I wear it on my coat. Oh no, not pink on my coat!!!
I would toss myself under the third category because lets face it, "Okay men... oh and woman" gets a little tedious at times. I have been called much worse than a man, that's for sure.
As far as I'm concerned, there are two kinds of woman firefighters.
1 - A firefighter who just happens to be a woman.
2 - A woman who is trying to be a firefighter.
That being said, men fall under the same categories (and most with the different gender). -
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Permalink Reply by Anita King on
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I think you probably nailed it pretty good, and I am happy to admit that myself (and thankfully the other females in our dept.) fall under option 3.
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lol, I wear makeup when I go out sometimes, but unlike you I own 3 pairs of shoes: Gym shoes, EMT boots, and Utility boots, and I don't carry a purse. And I really agree on the men in same categories thing!
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I am the only call running female, so luckily I wam able to speak for myself lol....
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Permalink Reply by Greenman on
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Incredibly sexist.
I know quite a few male firefighters who fall into the first two categories, minus the gender-specific references, and many who fall into the third.
#1. The "dude" Firefighter. The Chief's son who has the "whacker mobile" pickup truck with a large Firefighter scramble on the back window, stars of life on the bumper and a 12-foot CB antenna in the center of his chrome toolbox. He wears a Fire Department T-shirt everywhere, with a Mossy-oak cap, and hasn't been to a drill in three months, but still has his turn-outs in the first locker in the Bay. Spends all his time hitting on the cute "chicks" and still lives at home with mommy and daddy. Doesn't like to get hands dirty unless he's working on his car. A total prince. Can't really call him a Firefighter.
#2. The "Alpha Male" Firefighter. Less Strutting peacock than the "dude" Firefighter. Spends a lot of time telling everyone how great a Firefighter he is, makes sexist observations about all of the "chick firefighters" and "female Firefighters" as he sees them, and can only think of women as "Firefighters (no prefix needed)" if they are androgynous, although he'll still perform his normal routine for looking good, whatever that is. Wears Fire/EMS shirts, especially any shirt with a reference to "old School Firefighting" or similar sentiments. Goes on calls, and spends a lot of time looking around to see who "stays by the truck," gets his hands dirty and brags about it for a week.
#3. Firefighter. Makes more calls than you, and could kill you by dropping his book of certifications on your head. No "old School Firefighting" T-shirts, dresses well when off-duty. Doesn't have to think about "Political Correctness" because he just treats everyone with respect, so when he is occasionally off-color nobody is offended. He's one of the guys and loves it, even if "the guys" includes girls. Doesn't go out of his way to see Firefighters as "male" or "Female," people come to him for advice because he is secure enough to give advice without resorting to stereotypes. Not only gets his hands dirty, but knows how to wash them after the job's done and doesn't have to brag about getting his hands dirty. Not a Prince. A Firefighter. No prefix needed.
Greenman -
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Permalink Reply by Melissa Eastwood on
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Our department is lucky. We have 4 female firefighters and they all fall under option 3.
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