[-=SoylentSquirrel=-]

No one else has said it yet, and since I'm feeling controversial today, here it goes:

Women have no business being firefighters. They lack the upper-body strength to carry an injured person down a ladder, let alone a hose UP a ladder. They also destroy unit cohesiveness in the firehouse. Their very presence is a danger to innocent civilians.

[RGSpincich]

Women have no business being firefighters. They lack the upper-body strength to carry an injured person down a ladder, let alone a hose UP a ladder. They also destroy unit cohesiveness in the firehouse. Their very presence is a danger to innocent civilians.

And all those issues are usually brought to the forefront on a case by case basis in the probationary period or the first couple of years. From the article:

Farris, who joined the department in 1993, declined to comment.

She has been there over 13 years, I'd say she earned her place in the department. This was a personal and childish attack.

[Blueflag]

Not true. Not every role in firefighting requires carrying humans. She drives the engine, probably works comms/ valves/ pumps/ EMT stuff. (But how many male firefighters are restricted on the roles they can fill cuz of strength?)

True: everyone who fights structural fires -- goes in-- or 'mans' a hose needs to be strong enough to do their job.

True - is she (or anyone) ain't strong enough to haul my unconscious arse out of a tight spot, then don't put them in there with me. ... as long as that role is expected of the person.


Just my opinion, based somewhat on experience. (been a volunteer firefighter)

[sheana]

Hubby (retired) was a firefighter for 33 yrs. A Captain for about 20 of those yrs. Here Captains are totally in charge of their station. He had female trainees and a female firefighter.
His firefighter was liked by everyone and is still a friend of ours. She did not destroy the cohesiveness of the station, she was part of the crew. She gave and took the jokes and pranks really well too.
Having said that, you are correct about one thing. The female firefighters do not last. Most of them wind up going off on some time of injury/disability leave. They do not have the strength needed to perform the job.

This is NOT a typical firehouse prank and whoever did it was being malicious.

[wbill]

..Got your back...

I agree with you, with the obvious qualifier that if the woman is willing and able to perform all (and I mean all) of the duties of a firefighter, then she deserves to be right there in the firehouse.

What p*sses me off is situations where the rules are bent or changed to accomodate the ladies. If I'm stuck on the top floor of a burning building, I want to see a guy my size at the top of a ladder, not a 110 pound waif. Unless she's a powerlifter, there's just no way....

[navyvet33]

WOW... Just thought I’d ask: You Kiss your mother with that mouth? So, I guess I was endangering the lives of my fellow shipmates when I was on one end of a four hundred pound APU that needed to be installed in an aircraft. If you’re speaking from first hand experience and have lost someone due to the Females lack of upper body strength then I can understand your plyth. However, Empathize, if you can for just a moment: Women, especially those choosing to put themselves in a male dominated environment, have to endure the same standardized tests of their male counterparts. Once She has proved to everyone she is capable, she will forever have to prove her capabilities for the rest of her career, no and not like a man has too. I don’t fare well when it comes to all the political garbage, because I am an individual that can and has and will again succeed in a male dominated profession. I will say this: Thank You for writing this! Now I know what I want to be when I grow up.