Posted on 04/04/2022 2:29:49 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Captain Heidi Parr, the first woman to be promoted to captain, leads the all-female crew at Station 2. “When (little girls) see us, they love it," she said.
Upon joining the Vancouver Fire Department, Parr felt welcomed into the “brotherhood,” as she formed bonds with fellow academy members through studying, testing and being hired together. However, she was pleased to finally see a crew like hers come into fruition, she said.
Parr and her team work hard to be physically strong for emergency situations. There are people who would assume that someone small wouldn’t be capable of being a firefighter, Parr said, but together, the crew members impress others with their abilities.
“I think a lot of women don’t even consider the fact that they’re capable,” she continued. “We’re a walking testament to the fact that if you have a desire and will, there’s a way.”
Nelson, who has worked at the department for two years, said it’s interesting to see the public’s reaction when they see the crew is all women.
As a mechanic in the Navy, Nelson experienced working in a predominantly male field. She was used to the dynamic of being in a brotherhood. Admittedly, she had to work harder to alter her colleagues’ preconceived notions about what a woman could do in the position. Nelson was eventually seen as adept, she said, but it took time.
Being in an all-female crew curtailed this assimilation process; although the women came from different walks of life, they shared similar experiences of being women in a male-dominated career field.
Nelson recalled being a child and wanting to be a firefighter. It wasn’t until she was in middle school that she met a female firefighter for the first time.
“I thought, ‘Wow, this is something I can actually do,’ ” she said.
“When (little girls) see us, they love it,” Parr said, noting the impression the crew has on the public.
The third crew member, Anthony, was unavailable for comment.
Promoting diversity
The formation of the fire department’s all-female crew was rare based on staff numbers. However, the department is aiming for this to become less unusual, Fire Chief Brennan Blue said.
“We want to have our workforce be more reflective of our community,” he added.
According to Vancouver government employee data, more than 91 percent of its fire employees are men. Most fire staff are white, with 7.5 percent being people of color.
Proposition 2, certified in February, provided the financial capacity for the fire department to hire up to 80 firefighters over the next three years. Blue said academies for recruits with prior firefighting experience are operational, and there are plans under development to reach those who are new to the career field.
The department will attend job fairs and collaborate with community groups, such as local League of United Latin American Citizens and NAACP chapters, to help shape its recruitment processes. Staff also suggested reducing application and testing fees for candidates to make the application process more accessible.
A culture shift
The city of Vancouver hired an investigator in 2016 to observe the fire department after a female firefighter reported that her male boss had walked in on her using the bathroom. The third-party research resulted in the discovery of more issues within the department as it related to gender bias and treatment of women.
Since then, changes were made to accommodate men and women working together, such as creating designated bathrooms and sleeping areas. Parr said the structural changes resolved some of the reported issues. There was also an increase of anti-harassment training within the department, according to previous reporting from The Columbian.
“I think there has been a realization in a bit of a culture shift that this is a team and family environment,” said Blue, who became fire chief in 2020. “We can respect each other’s differences and still work together in a cohesive environment. Most people here get it.”
What could possibly go wrong?
Capable and well trained does not make someone capable of pulling a two hundred pound person out of a fiery room.
People will die because they won’t be able to muscle their way through a bad situation.
“What could possibly go wrong?”
How much time ya got?
What happens when people need to be carried to safety?
None of the women have extra equipment they are hiding?
Reminds me of an old 80’s diddy
Feel the heat!
Burning Brighter!
Run Away!
Vancouvers on Fire!
How good are they at putting out fires and rescuing those trapped in fires?
That’s what matters, not what sex they are.
No rational point of course.
I weigh 225 and am 6 foot 4 inches tall. I doubt they could drag me let alone carry me.
Terrifying.
My thought too. First massive fire could be ugly
Or handling a hose with full water pressure
Is this Vancouver, Wash.? Or that other Vancouver?
I wonder if anyone there is brave enough to ask if the test for admittance changed prior to the arrival of the women.
When men were the predominant fire-personnel hired, what did they have to do versus what people now have to do? And is the test different for men and women?
Good luck carrying mayor Ford down 10 flights of stairs.
5.56mm
I was fishing at a local lake a few years back, and there was a water rescue class, I presume, being taught on shore. The instructor was a midget, in full fire-fighter regalia.
Everything. Especially when PMS gets synced.
Vancouver, Washington.
Lifting a dead weight person is difficult. I am 5 foot 8 and 170 lbs. I don’t think they could lift me on to a gurney much less pack me out of a burning house.
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