By J. Mark Steward
One of the best parts of being a firefighter is the fraternal nature of our community. Most of us feel a strong membership in the fire service family.
Henri Tajfel and John Turner described this concept of membership in a group as “social identity” in their research in the 1970s. Later research revealed that social identity correlates positively with esprit de corps, performance, and intention to continue in the same profession. Conversely, those who feel low social identity within a group will either never join or move on to a different group.
The problem: Many female firefighters do not experience the same firefighter social identity as their male counterparts.
Research drives candid conversations
I recently had the opportunity to conduct research into how women’s experiences in the fire service shaped their identity and sense of belonging. As a part of my research, I chose to examine their experiences through the lens of Social Identity Theory. SIT explains how individuals derive their self-concept from both personal and social identities. It posits that people categorize themselves and others into groups (ingroups and outgroups), which influences their behavior and perceptions.
In the course of my research, I had the honor of interviewing 16 female firefighters. I wanted to know more about their experiences on the job and how those experiences shaped their identity as firefighters.
The tenures of the participants ranged from 1 year to over 25 years, and their ranks ranged from probationary firefighter to chief officer.
The interviews produced some interesting results. Perhaps not surprisingly, three-quarters of the participants believed it was harder to gain acceptance into the fire service than it was for men.
Although women represent less than 5% of the fire workforce, the women overwhelmingly said that they felt belonging in the fire service. Conversely, only half of the participants tied their identity to their occupation, and only 37% linked their identity to firefighting. The other 13% of the firefighters who identified with their occupation said it was EMS, not fire suppression, that they viewed as their primary identity. Interestingly, 15 out of 16 believed that men tied their identity to their occupation as firefighters.
The participants expressed feeling more belonging when they were included in group activities. When asked about what experiences made them feel less belonging, they described being excluded from group text threads, inside or offensive jokes, and repeatedly being asked or directed to prove their physical and professional competence.
When the women were asked if they fit the mold of firefighter, only 19% answered yes. Another 31% answered somewhat, and half said no. When they were asked to describe the mold of a firefighter, answers included words like “muscular,” “male,” “white,” “tall” and “hardworking.”
Common themes
Three common themes surfaced in the research:
- Women do not enjoy the same strong identity of “firefighter” that men do. They are less likely to get the tattoo, they probably don’t have the personalized vehicle tag, and they may not wear the T-shirt off duty. Women are less likely to display these behaviors to solidify their membership in the group due to their diminished sense of belonging in the group.
- Leaders at the company level influence the members’ sense of belonging. They set the tone for how each member will be treated by the group. When company officers tolerate inappropriate behavior and exclusion, they foster an environment that does not make every member feel valued.
- Becoming a parent affects women differently than it affects men, both physically and culturally — a sentiment that emerged in conversations addressing the issue of benefits and shift structures for mothers on the job.
The plight of our sisters came into clear view when one of the participant’s said, “Being a female in the fire service feels like being picked last for kickball” — a feeling that most have experienced at some point in their lives. You get to be on the team. You get to play. You might even get to score a run, but you will never shake the feeling that you don’t belong as much as the other players.
Many firefighters would point to camaraderie as one of the best parts of the job. But camaraderie is only possible when the firefighters identify as members of the group and feel belonging. Incumbent firefighters and leaders should be intentional about creating inclusive environments and curbing exclusive behaviors. Furthermore, the research indicated that one of the strongest variables affecting inclusion was group activities while on shift. This is as simple as sharing mealtime, exercising together, training and enjoying downtime activities together.
The top-mentioned exclusive behaviors included offensive jokes and requiring women to prove competence. Ironically, “locker room talk” and questionable behavior may be strategies that some men use to bond with each other, but there is no longer a place for these strategies and behaviors in the modern fire service.
And while that is my position on those types of behaviors, let me be clear that all firefighters should be compared to the standard and not to each other. If feats of strength like raising a 35-foot extension ladder solo are the standard, then all firefighters should be tested periodically for the competency.
Final thoughts
The American fire service is just under 300 years old. The first documented female member joined the ranks around 200 years ago. Current data indicates that women make up under 5% of all firefighters in the United States. One of the jobs of fire service leaders is to recruit and retain the best humans on the planet to serve in our field. I believe that roughly 50% of those potential candidates are women. That means we are leaving a tremendous amount of talent on the table. If we are serious about recruiting and retaining the most talented individuals available, then it is time we rethink our policies and culture.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
J. Mark Steward is the assistant fire chief with the City of Broken Arrow in Oklahoma.
