(MM)
NOW - BURNING DOWN
BARRIERS.
FIREFIGHTING IS STILL
PREDOMINANTLY A MAN'S
WORLD.
(KS)
ACCORDING TO THE
NATIONAL FIRE
PROTECTION ASSOCIATION
- THERE ARE MORE THAN
ONE-MILLION
FIREFIGHTERS IN THE
UNITED STATES...
AND ONLY SEVEN
PERCENT OF THEM ARE
WOMEN.
(MM)
THE FEMALES WHO ARE
ON THE FRONT LINES -
MANY ARE FACING SIMILAR
CHALLENGES ON THE JOB.
EYEWITNESS NEWS
REPORTER DANIELLE
NORTH IS HERE WITH THE
STORY YOU'LL SEE...
ONLY ON EYEWITNESS
NEWS.
WE DID SOME DIGGING AND
FOUND THAT IN RHODE ISLAND
THERE ARE MANY FIRE
DEPARTMENTS THAT DON'T
HAVE A SINGLE FEMALE ON
THEIR ROSTERS.
BUT WE WERE ABLE TO SIT
DOWN WITH TWO WOMEN WHO
WORK FOR THE SAME CITY.
THEY TELL US THAT A LOT OF
PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE IN
RECENT YEARS... HOWEVER,
THERE'S STILL MORE TO MAKE.
SHARON CORRIVEAU...
AND KATIE MOORE...
ARE TWO OF ONLY THREE
FEMALE FIREFIGHTERS ON THE
EAST PROVIDENCE FIRE
DEPARTMENT...
THAT EMPLOYS 103 MEN.
ON THE JOB - THERE ARE
CONSTANT REMINDERS THAT
THE CAREER THEY'VE CHOSEN
IS STILL AN OVERWHELMINGLY
MALE DOMINATED PROFESSION
- A FACT THEY REALIZED EARLY
ON... IN THEIR INITIAL TRAINING
i felt different because of my
size..
but everyone was very helpful..
but i
had to present myself in a
different
way.. because i didn't want to
be left
behind.
SHE WAS NOT LEFT BEHIND.
SHARON GRADUATED AT THE
TOP OF HER CLASS.
SHE AND FIREFIGHTER KATIE
MOORE ARE RELATIVE
NEWCOMERS TO THIS
PROFESSION.....
we aren't the first to be doing
it... but
we are the first to be accepted
doing
it
SINCE THE FIRST PAID FEMALE
FREIGHTERS WERE HIRED
BACK IN THE 1970S.. THE
NUMBER OF WOMEN IN THE
PROFESSION HAS CLIMBED
SLOWLY.
RIGHT NOW - ACCORDING TO
THE NATIONAL FIRE
PROTECTION ASSOCIATION -
ABOUT SEVEN PERCENT OF
THE NATION'S FIREFIGHTERS
ARE WOMEN.
AND ACCORDING TO THE
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION
OF WOMEN IN FIRE SERVICES...
THERE ARE STILL A NUMBER OF
BARRIERS THAT CONFRONT
FEMALES TODAY. RANGING
FROM SEXUAL HARASSMENT
ON THE JOB... PROTECTIVE
GEAR AND UNIFORMS
DESIGNED TO FIT MEN AND NOT
WOMEN... AND INSTITUTIONAL
BARRIERS LIKE FIRE STATIONS
BUILT TO ACCOMMODATE ONLY
ONE SEX IN SLEEPING,
BATHROOM, AND CHANGING
FACILITIES.
"we have 4 stations... 3 of them
are
designed wonderfully here for
us..
and one is in the process of
being
renovated
"but even the one that is
renovated..
everyone makes sure we have
privacy
SURPRISINGLY - FOR THESE
TWO WOMEN - THEIR BIGGEST
CHALLENGE COMES NOT FROM
THEIR PEERS, BUT FROM THE
PUBLIC THEY SERVE.
the worst moments are when you
are there in a client's home..
and
they need and want to help and
you
want do your job and they say
why
did you show up.. i don't want
you
carrying me
even the big guys don't do all
of the
hard work alone... every
person..
every department we do this as a
team.. every department is a
family
COMING UP NEW AT SIX - WE'LL
TAKE A LOOK AT HOW THE
OCEAN STATE STACKS UP
AGAINST THE REST OF THE
COUNTRY WHEN IT COMES TO
FEMALE FIREFIGHTERS.
PLUS... WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT
SOME OF THE EFFORTS THIS
BROTHERHOOD IS MAKING TO
RECRUIT MORE SISTERS TO ITS
FAMILY. DANIELLE NORTH,
EYEWITNESS NEWS.
BARRIERS.
FIREFIGHTERS HAVE
BEEN AROUND FOR
CENTURIES...
RISKING THEIR LIVES TO
SAVE OURS.
(KS)
BUT - DESPITE THE FACT
THAT HUNDREDS OF
YEARS HAVE PASSED - THE
OVERWHELMING
MAJORITY OF
FIREFIGHTERS ARE STILL
MEN.
(MM)
LIVE AT FIVE--- WE
INTRODUCED YOU TO TWO
FEMALE FIREFIGHTERS IN
EAST PROVIDENE ---- WHO
ARE BLAZING A TRAIL...
THAT FEW HAVE
FOLLOWED.
(KS)
NEW AT SIX - WE'RE
TAKING A LOOK AT HOW
RHODE ISLAND
COMPARES TO THE REST
OF THE COUNTRY.
EYEWITNESS NEWS
REPORTER DANIELLE
NORTH HAS THE STORY
YOU'LL SEE...
ONLY ON EYEWITNESS
NEWS.
WE EXAMINED THE ROSTERS
OF EVERY FULL-TIME FIRE
DEPARTMENT IN RHODE
ISLAND... THERE ARE STILL
MANY DEPARTMENTS WITHOUT
A SINGLE WOMAN ON THE
FRONT LINES.
FIREFIGHTING IS STILL A MALE
DOMINATED PROFESSION....
BUT DESPITE THE GENDER
IMBALANCE... FIREFIGHTERS
KATIE MOORE AND SHARON
CORRIVEAU... SAW AN
OPPORTUNITY... AND WENT
AFTER IT.
I think we kill it as women...
we can
do it.. we can do it just as
well.. not
better but there are things we
all
excel at.
BUT IF YOU TAKE A CLOSER
LOOK AT THE ROSTERS OF
EVERY PAID, FULL-TIME
DEPARTMENT IN THE STATE...
RHODE ISLAND FALLS FAR
BEHIND THE NATIONAL
AVERAGE OF WOMEN
FIREFIGHTERS - WHICH
ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL
FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION
- STANDS AT ABOUT SEVEN
PERCENT.
IN TWENTY MUNICIPAL
DEPARTMENTS - THERE ARE
ALMOST 18-HUNDRED
FIREFIGHTERS - JUST 31 OF
THEM ARE WOMEN.
THAT'S ABOUT 1.74 PERCENT OF
THE TOTAL FIREFIGHTING
FORCE.
WE ALSO DISCOVERED THERE
ARE STILL AT LEAST 7
DEPARTMENTS WITHOUT A
SINGLE FEMALE ON THE FRONT
LINES.
I think a lot of it is telling
women
they can do it... i think women
feel
pigeon holed.. thinking they
cant do
these big strong things
THE BARRIERS THAT
CONFRONT FIRE SERVICE
WOMEN TODAY ARE
NUMEROUS...
THE INTERNATIONAL
ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN IN
FIRE SERVICES POINTS TO
SEVERAL CHALLENGES...
INCLUDING LACK OF CHILD-
CARE OPTIONS FOR WORKERS
ON 24-HOUR SHIFTS...
UNCERTAINTY OVER
BEHAVIORAL EXPECTATIONS IN
A MIXED-GENDER
WORKFORCE... LACK OF PUBLIC
SUPPORT FOR WOMEN'S
PRESENCE IN THE FIRE
SERVICE.
THE UNITED WOMEN
FIREFIGHTERS BELIEVES MORE
RESOURCES SHOULD BE
DEVOTED TO RECRUITING
FEMALES.... AND OFFERING
MORE SUFFICIENT TRAINING TO
HELP WOMEN BETTER
PREPARE FOR THE
CHALLENGES OF THE PHYSICAL
AGILITY TEST REQUIRED TO
BECOME A FIREFIGHTER....
We are told we have of the same
opportunities... we just have to
be
equally qualified
We will take the trucks to
schools...
and kids... girls will say you
do that?
you are firefighter? and i say..
why
yes i am.. and you can do it
too.
WHILE THERE ARE ONGOING
EFFORTS ACROSS THE
COUNTRY TO RECRUIT MORE
WOMEN.... THERE IS STILL A
DEBATE OVER THE PHYSICAL
AGILITY TEST STANDARDS....
MANY FIRE OFFICIALS BELIEVE
RELAXING THE STANDARDS...
WOULD JEOPARDIZE PUBLIC
SAFETY. DANIELLE NORTH
EYEWITNESS NEWS.