check out my Females in the Fire service Group. I am not man bashing at all. I am just stating that i believe women that can do the job deserve equality!!! I do understand that there are women out there that cant...'cuz I have them on my department TOO, however those are the ones that give chics like me who love to get dirty and get hot ( in a fire the that is) a bad name. Tell me your thoughts.

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Rachel;
I find that there are just some people who can't do the job, and they usually don't make it. I have been told by a captain once that he didn't belive that women belong in the fire service and he would make sure I failed. By the end of the summer he didn't want me laid off. He thought I was the safer driver and better firefighter. I don't usually take these people to heart. I just do what I was brought up to do, be honest, hard working,flexible to learn from my mistakes, and ignore the gossips (especially since most of it isn't true), and work on improving myself and developing my skills. This attitude has served me well in the fire service.
I agree with you Erin the minds that are narrow will never change. there is another one thats about relationships in the firehouse and thats what I think women should be more afraid of then this post.
Your very right but I have known women who have slept around a fire house and that gives all of you there for the right reason a bad problem. I agree there are a few men that cause us all to be looked at in a bad why just like you saying "we all need to stop being such horn dogs" thats the type of problem making general statements like me saying all of you are there to sleep with guys. I wouldnt and that the issue all face,
this is for sandy knott did you know you can get a pink nomex hood i was asked by one of my female firefighters to order her one.
YOU HAVE TO TELL ME WHERE I CAN GET IT!!!! you have no idea how happy you would make me!...all i would have to do is get it approved by the higher ups!...doesn't the die effect the nomex though?
Sandy;
The dye doesn't affect it. You can get them in tye dyed or all sorts of colors.
You know this sounds odly familiar to me (minus the I broke a nail), a lot of people underestimated me when I joined my department, but much like you I had to prove myself. It's a part of our business, noone is accepted as being able to do anything on the fireground until they actually do it. The bottom line is it shouldn't matter what anyone thinks you can do, what really matters is you know what YOU can do. If they don't think you can do it keep proving them wrong. If you are asking to have that doubt removed, before proving you can do the job...you essentially are asking for special treatment. I don't know of anyone in my department who hasn't had to prove their abilities in some way before getting to display them. I went through it I was the youngest guy on my company for the first 3 years of my career, yet through proving myself I have risen to the rank of captain, the youngest one in the history of my company.

The fire service is not a take your word for it type service, we are a "hands on" and show your gusto. EVERYONE has to prove themselves at some point, and until you earn respect, and people see what you CAN do there will always be doubters. The only way to convert them is for them to see they are wrong. You know you can do the job, thats what you should focus on. That is what matters.
"you men need to stop being such horn dogs though. we are there to be firefighters, not pick up guys!"

This gets back to that one good out of every ten argument, and the broken nail.... some of the women joining the volunteer services are doing it to find guys...sometimes their motivation is to meet the cute firemen... This is a bigger problem...and one thats sad to say... not much can be done about. It perpetuates the stereotype. Much like Dan said, to generalize based on a select few and associate the masses with those actions is wrong. The main problem here is while one out of every ten male firefighters is a horn dog.... one out of ten women are there for the right reason ( I know these are not real statistics, but they make the point)....those odds begin to explain why there are people who doubt.

I wish there was an easy solution, but I think this is one thats going to take time
Overall, I have no problem with women in the fire service, I take issue with bending the rules, or changing them to accomidate them getting in. The fire service is very task specific and there are jobs that have to be done. I think that women are capable of completeing these tasks and can excel at them. As long as the basic physical requirements are met for all firefighters male or female I think it's all fair game. As for the stereotypes, I know both sides of the coin. I've met women who could hang with the best men in the fire service and others who could not. It really is a matter of what they are there for, seems the ones who really want to do the job always find a way to get it done and the ones who are there for the wrong reasons give up or leave it incomplete.
you know you don't want it for geoff mate, your trying to get one for you. You won't be able to miss that helmet for a long ways
you rest your case. am i less of a firefighter cause i think it would be sweet to have a pink hood??
i hope this rant was not directed at me!...cause i def. fit in...i just shock the guys when i keep up with them, cause looking at me, you wouldn't expect it at all!

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