i was in a worker with a woman firefighter when we were blown out of a structure. "she" complained that if she was with another female she would have flown further. we laughed about it (then wanted to do it again)...i love it when the girls beat the guys at the academy doing stuff, everyone deserves a chance
It's 2010, why would it be an issue with women as firefighters? Unless one is living in some misogynistic stronghold it shouldn't be an issue to have women on the job.
Questions like these always strike me as a means of self-affirmation. If that is the case, I suspect that there will always be a gender issue since the person asking most likely just doesn't see herself as equal.
Women in the fire service is no problem in my mind.Like already said they don't match the strength but can use their heads and sometimes that is better than being a strongman.If they want to be one and they have the ambition to do and be the best they can the learn as they go and skills get tweaked by her peers.They are fully capable in my eyes and like what was also said if they can't they will be weeded out on their own accord.
The only problem that I think that is faced by this and I'm not starting a fight I've just heard from other people from Fire and Paramedics is that what used to be a male dominated world now has females introduced into it is the sexuall harassment issue."Some" not all can be "one of the guys" and take a dirty joke or shop talk but others I think get a chip on their shoulder and want to raise a stink about it.A joke or shop talk should get a person in trouble but if it is a grab of the ass or a lude remark towards a female fire fighter than by all means should not be tolerated but if you want to be in what used to be a mans world than what happens in it should not have to change either.Just my thoughts and has been a concensus from other guys in the fire service and EMS like i mentioned!!
Women make up only a very small percentage of the professional fire service. Since men are significantly stronger and - arguably - just as intelligent, that small percentage is almost certainly just about right.
Had a female on our department once. I would rather fire fire with her than some of the guys we had. She could pull her own weight without a problem. A good hard worker.
I view them as any other firefighter....when I was Chief I had an amazing Asst. female Chief....wish I could go back to those days.....and as far as im concerned EMS would not be what it is today without females getting involved in firefighting in general.