Recently, when asked to train a female firefighter I didn’t know much about, I found myself wincing. It’s not an abnormal reaction to wonder what kind of assignment you’re about to be handed. And yet the wince I experienced was greater than that I might have experienced when handed a male probie for the day, which led me to wonder: If I, a female firefighter myself, am uneasy, what is the comfort level of men when they work with a female for the first time?
Although the number of females volunteering or being on the job has grown in metropolitan fire departments, many departments across the nation are still grappling with the addition of their first female firefighters.
Having grown up with four brothers and zero sisters, I was mostly prepared for the male-dominated environment that is the fire service. I would imagine that being a guy would obviously lead one to be better prepared for the interaction between men when they come into the fire service. But what about women? Why is it that we sometimes bring a level of unease when we walk into the firehouse?
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To be blatant: the fault for this can sometimes be on both sides. At the root of it all, however, I think it often boils down to a severe lack of communication and understanding. So I humbly present to you the “The 5 Steps To Stay Out of the Media, Create a Solid Crew, and Set Yourself Up for Success On Calls” guide.
- Hiring practices: If you’re passing up qualified male applicants to hire a female for the sake of diversity—stop right now. By hiring a less-qualified female, you set the women who are already on the job in your agency up for failure via generalization. Don’t do that. Don’t create an atmosphere of bitterness because the most qualified person was skipped over. If physical fitness is an issue in your female candidate pool, then maybe a mentorship program is in order. Diluting the quality of a candidate for the sake of diversity is truly a disaster for both that female applicant and the women already on the job, and could also possibly result in a lower quality of service to the citizens. If diversity is an issue, then find a way to bring them up to the bar. Please don’t lower it to them.
- Don’t be a jerk. Sounds simple enough, right? Ask me to raise my hand each time I’ve failed at this and I’ll never need an arm workout again. Being a firefighter is an honor and something we hold sacred. Every now and again we work with someone who we feel doesn’t measure up to the job, and our attitude about it can become very apparent. At the end of the day, people don’t learn when you’re being a jerk, and it can create an atmosphere of chaos for people on calls. Don’t set yourself and your crew up for failure on calls by treating a female (or anyone) that way just because you don’t want to train them.
- “There’s a girl in the firehouse and we can’t have fun anymore.” This is where the true pain of adulting comes in. Even as a woman, I constantly catch myself tempering my jokes around women I don’t know. I also do it with men. Why? Because it’s the right thing to do. I’m never going to know right out of the gate what someone’s humor boundaries, religious preferences, etc., are. Having a woman in the firehouse doesn’t mean you can’t have an adult sense of humor, it just means you have to find out what their level of comfort and humor is. Creating that level of trust right off the bat can ensure that if a joke does go a little too far down the road, everybody will (hopefully) feel comfortable enough to say something like an adult instead of it becoming an HR nightmare. Create trust and boundaries right off the bat by getting to know your people. If that person happens to be someone with a very sensitive level of humor…I would rather know before I made a joke that’s sending me to the principal’s office. Again.
- Spotlight syndrome. If you’re hiring a female for the first time/getting a female assigned to the firehouse for the first time, find that member a mentor. We all need mentors in our career, but finding someone who can help them navigate the world of the fire service is in everyone’s best interest. Think you’re being picked on because you’re told to make the coffee? No ma’am, that’s been every rookie before you. Wondering if it’s okay that someone keeps bugging you to meet them for breakfast coming off shift when you’ve said no? Yeah, that one we should probably talk about. Your probie year is difficult for a reason. If you can’t be consistent with the little things, then I’m probably not going to trust you with the bigger things. Your friends who work in a cubicle probably didn’t have their mettle tested by all their co-workers like you will. Be careful when comparing your job to theirs when it comes to what’s expected of you.
- Know if this job is not for you. This job is not for everyone, and that’s perfectly okay. Knowing when to dig in and when to step away is a skill that needs to be encouraged more when it comes to public service. Walking away from something that isn’t for you isn’t weak. The job you perform as a firefighter requires 200% from you, and if you aren’t invested it can lead to issues in your performance and personal life. Know your limits and don’t hang on just because you want to prove something.
Let’s be realistic for a moment. The fire service has been a male-dominated industry for a very long time. As departments grow and hire more females, there will be a spotlight on those females. Setting your female co-workers up for success is in your best interest. At the end of the day they’re filling a minimum staffing spot; getting along and making sure that every member of your crew is given a fair shot is simply the correct, and safest, thing to do.
Stephanie White is a 19-year veteran of the fire service, and has spent the past 17 years as a professional firefighter/paramedic in a metropolitan fire department. Throughout her career, she has been actively involved in firefighter health and safety as a personal trainer, cancer awareness educator, and a trained mental health peer.
This commentary reflects the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Fire Engineering. It has not undergone Fire Engineering‘s peer-review process.
