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International Women’s Day and Female Firefighters

Mar 082011

Today is International Women’s Day. In fact, today is the 100th celebration of the day, having got its start in 1911.

I was reading through some of the coverage this morning, and it pleased me to read about two separate female firefighters. Louise Hine-Schmidt is a firefighter in Ottawa, Canada and Dany Cotton lives in Orpington, Kent. I read the separate articles and was both moved and amazed at the hard work these two women — and the countless others like them — do in order to work at a job that they love. I mean, how many of us would be better people if we worked at a job we truly loved? These women are doing it despite the fact that they get all kind of grief and deal with issues most of us never consider.

Hine-Schmidt’s fire department still only has one bath and shower room. As so many fire departments were built before women were allowed to join the force, this is a common occurrence. Our department has no separate bathroom, no separate shower. Hine-Schmidt and her department make it work, just like others do, but it’s a constant reminder, I’m sure.

I also adore Cotton’s piece. She, like Hine-Schmidt, works to teach girls that they can have a career in the fire service. She makes a point that made me nod:

I’m not suggesting that being a firefighter is a job for all women, but neither is it a job for all men. If you like the idea of something different and worthwhile, it is a job for you. It can be physical, but you’ll also spend a considerable amount of time working with and helping people. It sounds like a cliché, but whether it’s through attending an emergency or passing on fire safety advice to a vulnerable person, there’s no better feeling than saving someone’s life.

I’m never going to be a firefighter. I’m scared of heights. I’m scared of fire. I don’t like to be hot, and turnout gear is really heavy and, in turn, really hot and sweat-inducing. (I know. I’ve worn it.) It’s not a career choice for me. And it’s not a career choice for all women or all men. But it’s a real choice, and the road has been paved for our young girls by these amazing women who have come before them. And the fact that the choice exists at all — for firefighting or whatever — is really the key.

For more information on the fire service and women, visit the International Association of Women in Fire & Emergency Services.

And, since I’m a woman and this is my blog and I’m a writer and photographer, I want to take a minute to thank the women writers and photographers who came before me and allowed me to pursue my passions. I feel honored to be given so many choices for what I want to be, what I want to create, what I want to give back.

Take a moment today to tell a little girl in your life that she can be whatever she wants to be when she grows up. I know a special little girl who is going to be amazing no matter what she decides to become someday. I’m sure you do as well. Don’t forget to remind her.

Old Firefighting Books & My Feminist Button

fire life, Parenting 15 Responses »

Jan 092009

A few months ago, BigBrother was given some old firefighting books by a local teacher who is also a family friend. The school’s library was cleaning out old books and was simply going to toss them if no one took claim. My teacher friend spotted these titles and snatched them up. BigBrother was happy to receive these antiques. Or, should I say, antiquated? Because, oh, my feminist button.

The True Book of Policemen and Firemen by Irene Miner was written/published in 1954. For the most part, the book has some regular, factual information on both the police and fire departments. You know: police officers wear badges and firefighters drive trucks. Nothing that we haven’t read in the many (many) other fire books we own. But near the beginning of this gem is a page that made my hair stand on end. FireDad was actually reading this book to BigBrother the first time, looked at me as he finished the sentence and just laughed. And laughed. He knows me too well.

The offense?

That’s right. Policemen and firemen are not just big strong men. They are BIG STRONG MEN!

Prior to that page, neither of us had checked the publication date. FireDad flipped back to the front of the book and found the date of 1954. Put in that context, we were able to laugh a little bit and explain to BigBrother that women are also police officers and firefighters today. He didn’t seem to notice my slightly crazy eye or FireDad’s smirk.

We didn’t know where the next two books would go then… but we read them all the same. What It’s Like to Be a Fireman by Arthur Shay was published in 1971. (Of note: this book has a dedication that touched my heart. It reads: This book is for those firemen who have fallen so that our homes and cities might stand.) It’s a look at Dan the fireman and his day at work. While this book doesn’t mention firefighting as a male only field, it also shows no women. At all. On any page. In fact, most of the time, his crew is referred to simply as “the men.” The historical sexism is not as blatantly obvious but, oh, it’s there!

LOOK! WOMEN! Fire Fighters by Rhoda Blumberg was published in 1976. (Also, note that the first and third were written by females. Interesting.) Apparently by 1976, the world of firefighting has seen a change. This paragraph says it all:

Women Fire Fighters

Until a few years ago, fire fighting was for men only. Times have changed. Now women, too, are fire fighters. There are just a few women fire fighters now, but each year there will be more and more. Of course, women must train and pass the same tests as men.

In fact, yes, there are lots of women in the fire service. And there have been for longer than any of these three books are giving credit. Just take a look at the International Association of Women in Fire & Emergency Services. Their history page gives a fabulous rundown of women in fire service. Interesting that not one of thse books mentioned the women who entered the volunteer fire service during World War II to take place of those (men) who had been called to duty. Even a mention of Molly Williams, a slave who joined the Oceanus Fire Company in 1815 would have sufficed! Of course, these three books, with the focus on professional firefighting, are likely talking about how women didn’t join a career fire department until just after the second book was published.

In brief: in 1973 and 1974 the first two paid female firefighters joined departments in North Carolina and Virginia. Sandra Forcier was initially hired in July of 1973 as a Public Safety Officer while Judith Livers was hired the next March as the first ever full-on female firefighter. These two women went on to serve full careers (likely fighting battles within their own departments) and retired with a rank of battalion chief. Makes me feel all empowered!

I get that the books were likely talking about these two trailblazing career firefighters. But it rubs me the wrong way that books, two written by women no less, totally ignored the history that women helped create prior to actually being paid to do the job. One might argue that speaks to the issues that exist, ego-wise, between volunteer and professional departments but history is history.

And so the question remains: do we get rid of these books? The answer is no. First of all, unless a book really offends me, I rarely “get rid of it.” These books, however, are going to remain in our library as a look at how far we’ve come. Sure, I’m raising boys. But their mother wants them to understand not just the historical aspect of women and their fight for equality but how it applies to them today. And that women don’t have to wear special and/or pink uniforms. And, of course, we have current books like Fred the Firefighter (among others) that show and talk about female firefighters.

And a mother who will never let them forget to respect women. Ahem.