Fire departments have a serious gender disparity. Only about 7 percent of American firefighters are women. Departments that take action to close this hiring gap can promote fairness and opportunity, improve community engagement and reach optimal staffing levels.
Creating an inclusive environment for existing female firefighters, with strong rules of conduct and standards for personnel, is one of the key elements of outreach. When potential recruits see women thriving in firefighting roles, it becomes easier to bring them aboard.
Technology tools, like workforce management software, can be used to optimize recruitment efforts by making conduct policies widely available. Physical aptitude tests can be being administered and tracked according to updated CPAT standard, which places an emphasis on aerobic endurance, stamina, and leveraging experience to problem-solve the task at hand.
As industries and professions across the board strive for greater diversity and gender equality, the fire service intends not to be left behind.
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