Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by ILDisasterEMT on March 5, 2008 at 10:00am

First: Work on your command of the English language if you expect anyone to take you seriously. I would love to have a look at your run reports. Arghhh!

Secondly, Federal anti-discrimination law provides that if a female is employed by a fire department, police department, EMS agency, etc that they are public service agencies and must make appropriate adjustments for female employees/volunteers. That means separate bunk rooms, separate locker/changing rooms and separate restroom facilities. If separate bunk rooms cannot be accomplished, then they must be remodeled to allow the female employees privacy to change clothes, sleep, etc. This has also been the case with the military with the most glaring example being women on submarines. Even in these already cramped quarters, adjustments must be made for female personnel. There is nothing saying that they must be luxurious, but then there is nothing saying that for males either.

I'm guessing that you are either afraid of women who can do your job as well or better than your or you simply dislike women in the fire service. Either way, tough cookies. They can do the job and have proven themselves time and time again. I serve and train along side female firefighters and would trust them as much as any man because I know if they couldn't meet the standards, they wouldn't be there in the first place. I cant believe that we are still having this conversation in 2008. You must still be stinging from Hillary kicking Obama's a** last night. What's next? Do you want them to wear pink bunker gear?

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Permalink Reply by lang on March 5, 2008 at 10:37am

we had female fire fighters in my volley house we had seperate bunkrooms and the only ones who used them were the medics who snore i think 1 female used like every 3 monthes or so but the female medics and emt would sleep in the bunkroom with the guys they'd go down to praticaly nothing to sleep a lot of the time too so it just depends on the female. at my paid miliatary station everybody has there own bunkroom so its not a problem

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Permalink Reply by Eric on March 5, 2008 at 11:24am

OK, ONE YOU PEOPLE TOOK THIS DISCUSSION ALL WRONG, I just want to know what everybody thinks about it, I have very good friend who is a female that is in the fire service thank you very much. This discussion was to see what everyone thinks, but if you KIDS want to blow it all out of wack then fuck it don't reply to this discussion. We also have a female in our paid department and let me tell you what, If it wasn't for her we wouldn't have the safety education program like we have now. I have also trained beside many women and they do one hell of a job. Now if you would of read one of my sentances it says and I WILL QUOTE MYSELF, "I think that it is great that more females are getting into the fire service". Read deep before you start judging there partner. If you can't be an adult and you think you have to be a smartass, then don't give me ur opinion, this question was for people who have real opinions.

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Permalink Reply by Eric on March 5, 2008 at 11:26am

Now see thats the kinda replys I want smartas oops i ment ILDisaster EMT.

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Permalink Reply by Eric on March 5, 2008 at 11:27am

I ment partition I was typing kinda fast oh and thanks for the website I will put it in my favorites lol ha.

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Permalink Reply by Engineco913 on March 5, 2008 at 7:35pm

ILD,

You know I came to your defense once before when criticized over a frivilous posting on the forum.

Let me start this out by saying, who made you god? You ramble about all the misgivings of the fire department and how things should be done all the time. I find this hard to believe since you have less than 2 years in the emergency services and still don't have a lot of classes outside EMS or terrorism. Who are you to sit back and ridicule ANYONE? Is it the fact you are a substitute teacher? The fact you are going for your bachelors degree?
You should spend a lot less time being so critical to point out the misgivings of someone else, and more time trying to make more friends and use the site to learn some more. You in turn used this post to bring in a political statement (completely off pace, topic and logical train of thought) and then came back with an insult of intelligence by pinning sexism on the original poster. Pink fire gear? Get real.
Start over and READ the ENTIRE POST. It is a simple discussion about what peoples feelings are about seperation of quarters, locks on doors etc, not a bashing of women in the fire service. If they bashed women in the fire service I would most likely have a response for that as well.
I am removing you from my friends list. I don't need "friends" who sit back and cut people to shreds over a few simple spelling errors. Especially those who don't have enough time in the service to have "learned everything" as you apparently have. (accourding to your posts and criticism) Perhaps one day when you learn the art of brotherhood and team I will reconsider.

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Permalink Reply by Matt on March 5, 2008 at 9:15pm

We have females at both my paid and volley fire deps. There are female bathrooms, that is in most cases just like the male b-room. As far as the sleeping arrangements go, 1 is at station 2 where every firefighter has their own room so no prob there, but every other station does not have that luxury so the other female is in the same bunkroom. I guess if there ever was a female who had a problem with it I guess she could stay in the Lt.'s Bedroom.

Before everyone gets started on us for only having 2 females...there have only been 2 that have passed the tests...I have no prob at all with females who can do the job as well or better than I can.

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Permalink Reply by Engineco913 on March 7, 2008 at 4:51pm

Now its been a few days. It is the lack of a response which also garners more opinions about someone. Kind of hard to be taken seriously when your so "passionate" and call someone out then don't follow the discussion.

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Permalink Reply by firegirl1 on March 7, 2008 at 8:01pm

I am the only woman on my shift and I share quarters with 4 men. Listen, we the tones go off in the middle of the night nobody is waiting to catch a peak at my undies or visa-versa we are scrambling to get on the engine. We have 1 minute from time of tones to respond. It is not a singles bar and we all know that so.....that's just my opinion.

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Permalink Reply by Kevin King on March 8, 2008 at 7:56am

I'm with you as well bro,No need for this kind of conduct.

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Permalink Reply by Spanner 122 on March 8, 2008 at 8:02am

Well, since you asked (and I do believe it is a little different than the "Should women be firefighters" topic), it depends on those in the house. I, personally, do not see the need to spend time and money on separate quarters. When new halls are built, sure maybe have a separate room, but there's no need to retrofit everything. My first and second stations (we rotate through a few in our first year) had dorms. I found a bed and slept in it. The "women's" washroom was downstairs so at night I would use the one in the dorm. The stalls all have doors and the the urinals are against the wall, so the only thing I would see if someone else was up taking a leak would be their back. Big deal.
The station I am currently in has separate rooms for everyone. There's no door on the room, but there's a partition up in the middle incase we have an extra guy and he uses the bed on the other side (two rooms are like this, two have doors). The men's washroom is directly across the hall, women's is through the locker room (open locker room) and down the hall. At first I used the men's because it made sense, but one of the guys was uncomfortable using the urinal when I was in t here... problem solved, I walk around the corner.
In yet another station, the women's washroom was upstairs and instead of using that one, I just used the one on the main floor and explained I was lazy and did they mind. haha. I always knocked first, but many times when I was in there someone else would be as well, never an issue.

Basically, I feel it depends on the guys. If they are comfortable with the arrangements, then it's fine. if they would rather separate quarters, then either they can have the separate room or I will take it. I really feel there are bigger fish to fry and much more important issues with the fire service today other than where a woman sleeps or pees. We're all grown ups, it can be worked out reasonably.

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Permalink Reply by Dan Hoey on March 8, 2008 at 8:05am

Patti thank you!!! You are the type of women the fire service needs and should have! Sadly some bad apples on both sides of the gender isle have made it hard on you. Your there to do a job and not play date night or spin the bottle on the truck room floor. We have separate rooms for each person small little dungeons with a bed and a small table because of some issues and guess what it did not involve a female!!!!!! Thats even more scary. Oh by the way the statement made by some saying women are getting into the service? My partner on my EMS shift has been a medic fire fighter for over 15 years.
Ok now the anger issue in here, Yes learn listen and dont point fingers but one thing is true in the General Firefighting discussion sub folder there is rarely fire fighting topics and when there is its buried by subjects that are not related to fire operations. I like discussions like this one but they should be in another sub line.

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