Female Fire Chiefs/Officers: Issue or Non?

[peterose313 345]

After reading an article on how there's a total of 4 female fire chiefs in the state of Connecticut, it got me thinking about how people feel about being in a department (career or volly) with the chief or an officer being a female.

Does this present an issue and cause problems or do you not care what sex the officer/chief is?

Do you feel like you have to watch how you act/what you say when on the job?

Also does anybody know how many female chiefs there are in NY, if any?

No disrespect meant to anyone here, just curious to see people thoughts.

[mkfdtl14 1]

i know Armonk FD has a female fire chief Bedford FD had one. My department recently had our inspection and we had a lot female fire chiefs, and officers from westchester county.

[PFDRes47cue 653]

If you can do the job and do the job well...sex, race, etc does not matter. Best person for the job should have it.

[SSCharged E100 7]

Nothing should matter in a person running for an officer position but credentials and knowledge. Sex race etc should neer matter. My company has had 3 females run through the ranks and as of right now the company has 5 female firefighters. One as of right now in the process to run for the 2nd lt position.

[MoFire390 118]

Who really cares what sex someone is? If that person can do the job they all better keep back and stay quiet. Then again "fire house politics" always says someone can do the job better.

[x129K 1,393]

It's not an issue unless they make it one.

[xchief2x 79]

Like what has already been said if they can do the job it is not an issue. I have 1 in my battalion and she is more then competent and the one in Armonk is equally qualified, they are both friends of mine and have my complete and total respect.

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

Kinda like asking if you have an issue with female firefighters. The answer is unequivocally not at all. Some of the best firefighters I know are women as have the ones who went on to be chief been some of the best chiefs I have known.

I thought this cartoon was very fitting for our discussion here.

http://api.ning.com/files/XkjrBT5712xWTXD1bDHmSRLLwIFHxUdlfGS-X5stXHBb5DUSv3xDxaHD*v1ux7REQHFjalLHHJ0IN5ukoAaknxDsG4h6Dk1Q/COMBSEqualityInOz.jpg

[FFLieu 70]

It doesn't (or shouldn't) matter what type of anatomical equipment you have between your legs; rather, it matters whether you can do the job effectively.

[Bnechis 3,961]

Why would gender be an issue?

The real issue is qualifications. There are so many chiefs out there that became chief because of popularity, or because they are related to the mayor, or because it was their "turn" or because no body else wanted it or because they just turned 21...or...................

[FFPCogs 863]

Should gender be a issue?.... unequivically no. Is it? Well that's a bit harder to determine since it depends on personal choice. Most rational people are going to stand up and say "no of course, it's not about gender it's all about the qualifications" but deep down many harbor quite a different feeling. This dichotomy can play out in very subtle yet predjudicial ways. Sometimes in training women will be pushed to do just a little more than the guys to "prove" themselves, sometimes it shows as they are shunned or ignored in the group (like when conversations cease as the walk in), or sometimes they inadvertently become the center of negative attention when standards or expectations are lowered to "make sure the women can do it" even if they don't want or expect them to be.

The fact is women in the fire service are still something of a novelty. This isn't necessarily due to an institutionalized bias or attitude but more so by virtue of the fact that there just aren't many of them in comparison to men. In light of this and the fact that nature has given us inherent differences, women will always stand out in some way. What becomes important is that as professionals those differences become insignificant and herein lies the rub. It is virtually impossible to change how someone feels about a particular issue by force and maybe no more so than when it comes to what the average Joe FF believes a FF is. Tradition stills gives us the image of the quintessential FF as a white male and by and large this is still the vast majority of the service. Affimative Action and Equal rights initiatives have done much to open the doors to all, but these open doors have not come without resistance and in some cases outright revolt. Like minded officers and members can make life very difficult indeed for those they believe to be outsiders no matter the department. Unlike minority men, women being by nature and traditional roles very different then men, have a much higher hurdle to jump in many cases stemming from the view of them as the "weaker sex".

The fire service as a whole is still a boys club and many still hold on to that view no matter what they say in public. But as with all things progress and time continue to erode this bias as more women join and rise in the ranks whether by laws, quotas or actions.

BTW for many years I held on dearly to the notion that the firehouse was no place for a woman. Thankfully after being proven wrong time and time again even my dinosaur pea brain has opened to the reality that "no of course, it's not about gender it's all about the qualifications".

Cogs

Edited March 29, 2012 by FFPCogs

[SageVigiles 1,194]

I've had female Officers before, and my opinion on them is the same about male Officers. Some truely do it for the right reason and care about their professional development so that they can help their fellow firefighters and some do it for a fancy set of bugles and to further their own career. Just like any other group of people.

THAT'S equality.

[everybodygoes 331]

Ive worked with some women that are a pure joy, know the job and more importantly can physically do it. I also worked with some who are not worth the uniform on their back. I would prefer to have one in a supervisory position as opposed to one I am supposed to rely on for a job to be completed that is physically demanding.

[x4093k 654]

If you can do the job and do the job well...sex, race, etc does not matter. Best person for the job should have it.

Exactly. I was a little bumped off track when I saw the title of this, females, males, whoever can do it, can do it. Simple as that. Armonk FD has a wonderful chief, and I am sure in the upcoming years we will see more and more appear, well, at least I hope so.

[87D124 37]

I am a dispatcher in an commercial ambulance service & we have a female Lt. If she became a Captain or a Director, I would have no issue because she is qualified.

[Spartan052 43]

After reading an article on how there's a total of 4 female fire chiefs in the state of Connecticut, it got me thinking about how people feel about being in a department (career or volly) with the chief or an officer being a female.

Does this present an issue and cause problems or do you not care what sex the officer/chief is?

Do you feel like you have to watch how you act/what you say when on the job?

Also does anybody know how many female chiefs there are in NY, if any?

No disrespect meant to anyone here, just curious to see people thoughts.

verplanck has its first female chief

[firemoose827 324]

Again, an old comic that I have used over and over from Mr. Paul Combs for just about every issue in the fire service still speaks for itself.

My chief is female and has been in office for 3 years now and will probably still be in office for another 3 years or more, she does an excellent job, very skilled and knowledgeable and a great person. We have 2 other females in the department as well, one is lieutenant of the fire police and one is an EMT as well and both are great at what they do. It shouldnt matter what a persons sex or race or color is, just what they know and what kind of personality they have.

[Guest alsfirefighter]

Again, an old comic that I have used over and over from Mr. Paul Combs for just about every issue in the fire service still speaks for itself.

My chief is female and has been in office for 3 years now and will probably still be in office for another 3 years or more, she does an excellent job, very skilled and knowledgeable and a great person. We have 2 other females in the department as well, one is lieutenant of the fire police and one is an EMT as well and both are great at what they do. It shouldnt matter what a persons sex or race or color is, just what they know and what kind of personality they have.

Always great to look at..but if it were only that simple in real life for some things on that list.

This is very simple when it comes to individuals as far as race, creed, ethnicity.....it depends in all actuality in most cases on the individual themselves. I can tell you from my Marine Corps and fire service experience....I never looked at them as anything other then a person. You either have it or you don't...its up to you to show it. Note I did not use the word "prove." I have nothing to prove to anyone...as no one does with me..they have a clean slate to build upon. Making person "prove" something often causes issues. All of you to me are persons...if at work or teaching..you are firefighters or want to be able to be one. You are the only one that can put...white, black, asian, male, female etc, as an individual. I was fortunate to gain insight on this on a college ethics class I took. A student was making a commentary and used the term "black student." It caused discussion over 2 sessions about what that meant and what to each individual person...and that is when the professor explained the point I used and use when teaching courses about management. You may view yourself as a "female", "male", "black", "white" (you get the point) firefighter. To me and most of the world...you are a firefighter who happens to be "female", "male", "black", "white", etc. For the most part on a personal level that remains true.