Clothing Cited in Firefighter's Lawsuit

[firemangeorge]

First read the story, then tell me what YOU think.

Clothing Cited in Firefighter's Lawsuit

[ 01-08-2002: Message edited by: fireman george ]

[quint1driver]

You mean to tell me a "25-year veteran" didn't realize her gear didn't fit her years ago?
Im sure there is more to this story than meets the eye.

[NCRSQ751]

There has to be more to this story.

I think that everyone should have appropriate PPE that fits, male or female. As to whether she wasn't issued fitting gear because she was female or not I have no way of determining. I do know that last time I checked my gear was not specifically 'female' but my department did for me what they do for everyone - made sure it fit. I'd have to ask for more info to determine for myself if this was discrimination or not:

Did she make the appropriate person aware that the gear she was issued didn't fit? (She is a Battalion Chief that has been with the department since 1977 - was it always this way or is this new?)

If so, what was the answer she was given?

If the answer was not satisfactory did she follow the chain of command all the way to the top?

Are there other members of the same FD (male or female) that have ill fitting gear? I.E. is it a budget issue? Is there some idiot in charge of issuing gear that gives out what they have vs. buying new gear?

What is the deal with accommodations? There is little detail about the other allegations.

I am female, and I have grown skeptical over the years of lawsuits. Unfortunately too many women have used sexual harrassment innapropriately and prior to going through appropriate interdepartmental steps.

If she has valid allegations and went through all the appropriate steps to challenge these issues I'd say she has a case, but there is no way to determine that from the information in the article.

Just my 2 cents. I'm not trying to say she does or doesn't have a case. I'm just trying to say we need facts before you can really have an informed opinion.

[gah74]

What a bunch of horsesh*t.

[ADSNWFLD]

She is a BC and claims that she has been passed over for promotion because of sex? Their is something more here.

As a chief their is no reason she doesn't have fitting gear.

I think we need to hear the department's story. Aside from that it is only in the last 5 years that we have had any accomidations for women. I would think after 25 years she would learn to get along with people.

[ 01-10-2002: Message edited by: ADSN/WFLD ]

[FutureFWFD]

There has to be more, something we are not getting. I am a shorter guy, and I can get clothes to fit me, so you are telling me that a BC that has been on the dept. for 25 years is just now realizing that her clothes don't fit properly? Come on, something is not right here. The part about curling her toes up to keep her boots on cracks me up. However, I am one to look at both sides of the story. If she is telling the truth and all this stuff has been going on for 25 years than something major needs to be done at that dept.