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From: seifert@ihuxl.UUCP (D.A. Seifert)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: Women and the SFFD
Message-ID: <1061@ihuxl.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 26-Apr-84 08:40:14 EST
Article-I.D.: ihuxl.1061
Posted: Thu Apr 26 08:40:14 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 27-Apr-84 04:11:37 EST
References: <878@brl-vgr.ARPA>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 27

> The majority of the coverage dwelt on the physical tests they had
> to pass. These tests were quite difficult and required extensive
> physical conditioning in preparation. The current male firefighters
> were interviewed, and at least one gave the rather standard objection
> you hear when women begin moving into previously-all-male jobs involving
> heavy physical effort, that even if a woman could pass the test, she would
> be slower than a man and this would cause danger in an interdependent
> high-risk situation like fighting a fire. (The actual quote was something
> about running up three flights of stairs lugging equipment, and that the
> woman would be a minute slower than the man -- if they were trying to work
> together, this left the man alone in a situation where there should be
> a team protecting each other.)

This is ridiculous!  Either the physical tests are adequate, or they
aren't.  (I'm assuming here that the women have to pass the exact same
test as the men.)  The gender of the testee has nothing to do with it.
There is a very wide variation in physical ability both within men
and within women.  (hence the reason for the tests in the first place!)
Why aren't they worried about a man who barely passes the tests
being paired with one who breezes through them easily?

-- 
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