Dear Editor,
I laughed when I saw Ron Woodall’s cartoon of the bathroom at the fire hall! In the last month I have had a few conversations regarding women in the fire hall and what has really upset me as people consider the fire hall as just a boy’s club. These men volunteer their time away from their family every Tuesday night. They also go on training week-ends to hone their skills. The volunteer fire fighters carry pagers and are expected to respond to calls no matter what time it is.
Over the years my husband has spent many dark nights searching for lost hikers. He has fought house fires which have kept him out till the sun was rising. The worst calls have been when he has found people critically hurt or have passed away. It was a very sad day when the fire department responded to a call to their very own fire chief. The fire department was called when another fellow fireman had a heart attack and they tried to save him. These men were not just fellow firemen but close friends who died.
I feel that it undermines our fire department and women who are professional fire fighters when people consider it just a boy’s club. I know there is a female fire fighter and captain for the Surrey department who lives on the island. In the past she has been asked to assist our fire department after a tragic call and has been so helpful as a grief counsellor. I know for a fact that if there are any women who are as qualified as she is, the fire department would definitely consider them. If you are able to wear the full turn-out gear and can carry a person out of a burning building, if you are willing to give up every Tuesday night and some weekends to train, if you are willing to give up your week-ends to host an open house and other community events, if you are able to drop what ever you are doing when your pager goes off, then you should apply for the Bowen Island Fire Department. If not, then the next time you see a volunteer fire man, just thank them for their service.
I would also like to welcome the two newest firemen: Matt Laudrum and Jordan Goodbrand.
I am proud to say I have been a fire fighter’s wife for seventeen years. All I can say is, thank you.
Nancy Lee
