LIFESTYLE
Firefighting tw o for
By Lindsey Brookhart
As an Ohio firefighter/paramedic, I’ve worked in the fire service for 11 years, seven of which have been fulltime. During that time, I’ve been through two complete pregnancies, maternity leaves and postpartum periods and am currently beginning a third go-round with growing a human. When I started out in the fire service in my mid-20s, I was single and had never even considered the idea that pregnancy and fighting fires might be something I would deal with at the same time. It wasn’t until my husband and I began talking about having children that I realized things would have to change at work... but that didn’t seem impossible. My mentality has always been “we’ll just figure it out” so I never saw the desire to expand our family as being something that could potentially cost me my career. We’ve all heard stories over the years about females being discriminated against, pushed out of their departments or even fired because of the things their bodies do that men’s bodies just can’t. My experience as a female in the fire service, however, has been far more fortunate than other females I know. I have had (mostly) supportive departments, co-workers, and command staff. That being said, the approach I took with my pregnancies felt no different than any other potential “issue” with my employment as a female firefighter.
ANOTHER AREA THAT CHALLENGED ME WAS THE FIRST TRIMESTER WHEN ILLNESS AND EXHAUSTION WERE VERY REAL. I’D ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WAS TOTAL BS AND THAT PREGNANT WOMEN WERE JUST BEING PANSIES.
B E ING PR EGNANT IN T HE FIREFIGHT ING WO R LD IS NOT A N ORM AL SIT UAT ION. Most departments aren’t prepared and may have policies in place that are so outdated and unrealistic that they’re laughable. There are places in the fire service, however, that have begun to ensure that there are paths for women to feel secure in their jobs and still expand their families. In my case, my chief was more than willing to work to accommodate my new challenges with my position.
NOPE. PHOTO BY BECCA ELLIS
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C RAC KYL MAGAZ I N E
