Fire & EMS Leader Pro The job of old firefighters is to teach young firefighters how to become old firefighters!
By: Stephanie White, Firefighter/Paramedic and Guest Blogger
Or at least that’s what my LinkedIn feed is telling me [National Employee Resource Groups Day 2024 was November 17th]. Being in the fire service I’m no stranger to ERGs and the solutions and guidance they provide, but I’m also going to use today to dovetail into a subject that I also know a thing or two about.
Women in the fire service. Or to be more specific: hiring women in the fire service and the damage that we can do if we aren’t intentional with it.
I think the cesspool that is social media has reminded us of all post-election that the world will never be free from those with sexist and misogistic thoughts and intentions. Thankfully, that category of human might be the minority, but the clever rhetoric they spew can sometimes take a different shape in the fire service. It can latch on to fears already held by every firefighter (male and female) and fear can often lead to prejudice. If you’re going to hire more women, you must ensure that they don’t undo the hard-fought work that those who broke into the male dominated world did. You must ensure they can meet the standards mentally and physically required for this job.
Where am I going with this?
You must be incredibly intentional when hiring your female candidates. If you see that your female candidate pool is just barely making the time on their initial Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT), create a toolkit of recommended exercises that increase strength and mimic firefighting. CPAT is far easier than the rigors of recruit school, and if they struggle with it [CPAT] then you’re setting them up for injury or failure if you hire them in that condition. They need to know that fact, and if diversity is what you want then give them a toolkit so they can know how to improve.
Provide opportunities for candidates to speak to firefighters in the field who can mentally prepare them for the rigors that are academy life AND field life. If you want to bring more females on to the job – ensure they’re the best. If they aren’t, that’s ok: work with your ERGs to ensure they can become the best.
If we’re being honest with ourselves, we often shudder in the fire service when we hear the term “Employee Resource Group”. I know I have. The brotherhood that is firefighting should always be colorblind and gender neutral, but if we’re honest…sometimes it isn’t. Too often in the rush to ensure that our ranks reflect our communities we hire candidates who might not be in the right place physically to perform at the level needed.
So, when you hire a female, she needs to be physically ready to do the job, or she risks personal injury and a poor reputation. Having toolkits and resources in place benefits ALL your candidates but working with your ERG to ensure that when you hire a female, she’s fully physically prepared – THAT is how you ensure the longevity of diversity done right.
About the Author
Stephanie White is a firefighter/paramedic with 19+ years on the job with the Fairfax County (Va.) Fire Rescue Department where she’s currently a Battalion Representative for IAFF Local 2068. Previously, she served for as the Human Resources Director for IAFF Local 2068 for 3+ years. Since April 2024, she’s serving as the Managing Editor for Firefighter Nation. Stephanie is on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/stephanie-white-754b0b26.
