Excerpts from ChicagoTribune.com:
It's rare these days to find a workplace in the U.S. where women haven’t made their mark. But in one of the last remaining fields still dominated by men, it’s still possible for a fire department to hire its first female firefighter in 2018. Joliet, Illinois, recently made history by welcoming its first female recruit into the fire department, marking a milestone in the department’s 165-year legacy. While many departments have been integrating women for decades, some still have only one or even no female firefighters at all.
Nationally, only about 4% of firefighters are women, according to the U.S. Department of Labor — a figure that lags behind other professions like law enforcement and the military, where women make up around 14%. Even traditionally male-dominated fields such as farming and construction management have higher rates of female participation than firefighting.
While attitudes toward women in the profession have improved over time, challenges remain. In Fairfax County, Virginia, Firefighter Nicole Mittendorff took her own life in 2016 after enduring online harassment related to her job. A female officer was later appointed to address gender-related issues within the department, but she resigned this year, claiming her recommendations were ignored.
This year, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the city of Houston, alleging that two female firefighters were subjected to severe sexual harassment. The claims included male coworkers urinating in their dormitory, writing sexist messages on walls, and disabling their communication equipment during emergencies.
The Chicago Fire Department has faced multiple lawsuits over the years regarding discrimination in hiring practices based on race and gender. For many years, the department required physical tests that were later deemed biased against women. After legal challenges, the city agreed to replace them with the Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT), which more accurately reflects the physical demands of the job, including climbing stairs, raising ladders, dragging hoses, carrying equipment, swinging axes, and conducting search operations.
A study conducted by researchers at Drexel University in Philadelphia examined the experiences of 30 female firefighters and published their findings in September in the Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health. Many of the participants reported facing a double standard, especially when they were the first woman to join a particular department. Some shared stories of discrimination or harassment, while others felt a strong sense of responsibility to support other women in the field. However, the research also found that many male firefighters viewed their female colleagues as more skilled in de-escalating tense situations, calming patients during medical emergencies, and assessing risks on the job.
Thanks, Dan
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