A recent discrimination lawsuit filed by a female firefighter included a substantial list of complaints against her department. She said there was a frat party atmosphere in the station and sexually inappropriate behavior. She also said she was the target of malicious actions by individuals. The lawsuit further states that station facilities were not inclusive, especially with regard to access to showers, and that the department did not provide uniforms or PPE that fit.
When such conditions exist, they are always bad, but they are not all the same. While all of them may be linked to cultural norms and organizational policy, some of them can be addressed at a local level, even by a company officer. For example, inappropriate or harassing behavior in the station can and should be shut down immediately by the officer in charge. It is an officer’s job to set clear standards and hold people accountable for meeting those standards.
But the last two items on the list of complaints are different. Facility design and access to equipment are systemic, institutional issues that go beyond of the scope of authority of a single station officer. Making change in these areas requires decisions at the top level of the organization, and sometimes even beyond.
Slow vs. swift change
When women were first hired as firefighters, facilities were inadequate to accommodate them. There was one common dorm and one common bathroom, including showers and lockers, for the all-male workforce. The first women hired had to make-do – changing clothes in closets; always being the last person to shower, if they were able to shower at all at work; and sleeping in open dorms that did not provide any level of privacy that might have been preferred by all individuals.
Modifying facilities is expensive and time-consuming. Many fire departments stalled with committing to this process and are only now creating stations that meet the needs of all firefighters. Even at those departments that have made full commitment to updating station design, everyone recognizes that such changes cannot happen overnight.
That is not the case for the last item on the list, providing PPE that fits.
Manufacturers squash your excuses
When I became a firefighter over 40 years ago, there was no such thing as PPE designed specifically for women. Even custom-made bunker gear was designed on a pattern based on male body types. Getting gear such as gloves and boots that really fit was never resolved in my nearly 20-year career. There were no boots or gloves in women’s sizes and no manufacturers that were designing any equipment with women in mind.
That is not the situation today. At least six manufacturers now design PPE specifically for women. So why is it still a problem for women firefighters to get gear that fits them?
It might seem like a hassle to order gear specifically for only a few people. Maybe there is even a minor cost differential. Smaller departments might specify these as reasons not to make the effort. Even larger departments have cited the lack of access or the need to make large minimum orders as a reason why women-specific gear cannot be provided.
While it may have been true in the past that a minimum order would be required, that is no longer the case with the major manufacturers I recently contacted. The ability to order even one set of custom designed gear was confirmed by direct phone contact with turnout gear companies.
Yet women firefighters are still using PPE that was not designed for them and does not fit them properly. This is not only uncomfortable, it’s dangerous, as ill-fitting gear can create real hazards, including restricted mobility and coverage gaps that could lead to burns or other toxic exposures.
Change starts at the top
When efforts are not made to provide an individual firefighter with adequate protective gear, that is a statement, whether organizational leaders consciously intend it or not. There was a time when no options existed for providing this gear. That is not the case anymore. Women didn’t complain about such things for a long time, trying to avoid the appearance that they were demanding special treatment. But having gear that fits is an essential right and an organizational necessity, for both personal safety and effectiveness of the overall mission.
Organizations often dedicate resources to addressing discrimination at an individual level, such as providing classes on appropriate behavior or empowering company officers to initiate discipline when professional standards are violated. This is important, but there are some issues that can only be remedied from the top down. Providing safe protective gear to all members should be at the top of that list.
