Including Women in the Fire Service
A Strategy Toolkit for Fire Departments
A Fire Service For All: Exploring Ways to Further Diversity and Inclusivity for Women in the Canadian Fire Industry Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs (2020)
This report synthesizes the findings from the September 13, 2019 joint meeting of the Alberta Fire, Emergency Management and Wildfire Management Women (A FEW Women), and the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs (CAFC) Women Fire Chiefs and Company Officers Network of Canada.
A Guide for Managing Return to Work Canadian Human Rights Commission (2007)
This guide provides an outline of the key legal principles that apply to return-to-work situations, step-by-step procedures to guide your approach to case management, and a series of case studies demonstrating how you could deal with different hypothetical scenarios.
Bargaining and Equity Public Service Alliance of Canada (2015)
This link provides questions to ask when reviewing your bargaining demand(s) and/or employer proposals to see if there are any barriers for members belonging to one or more equity group.
Bargaining Equality Kit Canadian Union of Public Employees (2014)
This link provides many resources (for union members and those on a bargaining committee) on equality and measures to change the workplace to better suit workers, meeting the needs of members, and making workplaces reflect the communities we live in.
Building a Diverse and Inclusive Public Service: Final Report of the Joint Union/Management Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion Government of Canada (2018)
This report meets the project’s mandate to define diversity and inclusion in the public service, establish the case for diversity and inclusion, and recommend a framework and action plan.
Building a Gender Inclusive Workplace Fire Rescue Magazine, Amy Hanifan (2020)
This article examines outside-the-box recruitment tools as well as community outreach opportunities.
(link includes application form, release form, and get active questionnaire)
Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs-Executive Chief Officer Aspire Program Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs
This program helps to create a pathway for professionals and serves as a succession-planning tool for departments.
City of Toronto 2015- 2018 Strategic Plan – Equity, Diversity, and Human Rights Division City Manager’s Office, City of Toronto (2018)
This document guides the work offers direction to city divisions surrounding access, equity, diversity, and human rights practices in the Toronto Public Service to achieve equitable outcomes for staff and residents.
City of Toronto Human Rights and Anti-Harassment/Discrimination - Complaint Procedures City of Toronto (2018)
This link describes procedures so that complaints of discrimination and harassment can be reported and resolved internally and are intended as an alternate dispute resolution. This document seeks to a) assist employees and service recipients in exercising their rights where they believe that they have experienced harassment/discrimination and b) to prevent, correct and remedy situations of discrimination or harassment and not to be punitive, although discipline may result.
Conflict in the Fire Service: Avoid or Address? FireRescue1, Robert Rielage (2018)
This article speaks to how officer leadership courses should include sections on conflict management and resolution for when situations inevitably arise.
Creating a Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace. Ontario Public Health Association (2008)
This publication will assist your organization in creating a family-friendly workplace that will enable employees to achieve a balance between career and parenting responsibilities.
Designing for Inclusivity: Strategies for Universal Washrooms and Changerooms in Community and Recreation Facilities HCMA Architecture + Design (2018)
This document was created to help fill a gap in design knowledge around issues relating to universal washrooms and change rooms, and their provision in community and recreation facilities. It is a contribution to ongoing and evolving discussions around designing for inclusivity. It shares core considerations rather than comprehensive suggestions for all groups.
Diversity Inclusion Cohesion and Equality Report and Objectives West Midlands Fire Service (2019)
This report examines West Midlands Fire Service’s approach to diversity, inclusion, cohesion, and equality. It describes current and past performance, achievements, and future objectives.
Driving Diversity and Inclusion - the Role for Chairs and CEOs Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance (2019)
This article explains findings that emphasize the critical role that leaders play in driving diversity and inclusion (D&I) in the workplace, specifically in terms of creating inclusive environments where everyone can thrive. Included are three sets of takeaways, detailing how leaders can drive progress on the agenda.
Emerging Health and Safety Issues Among Women in the Fire Service FEMA; US Fire Administration (2019)
This document speaks to occupational health and safety issues for female firefighters: recruitment and retention, heart health, mental health, inclusion, and cancer.
Employment Standards Act Queen’s Printer for Ontario (2020)
This link helps to understand one’s rights and obligations under the Employment Standards Act (ESA). The guide describes the rules about minimum wage, hours of work limits, termination of employment, public holidays, pregnancy and parental leave, severance pay, vacation and more.
Equity and Inclusion Lens – Handbook; A Resource for Community Agencies City for All Women Initiative (2015)
This City of Ottawa handbook is an interactive tool that will help you to learn about equity and inclusion and how to apply it in the workplace.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: A Best Practices Guide for Recruitment, Hiring and Retention Canada Research Chairs (2019)
This guide is for institutions to determine how best to address areas for improvement when assessing their work environment, and to develop their equity, diversity and inclusion action plans.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Handbook City of Hamilton, DRAFT (2019)
A guide to equitable, diverse, and inclusive practices in the City of Hamilton.
Examination of the Promotional Process within the Fire Service Carr (2017)
This paper asks if the current promotional means that fire departments use are effective. The recommendations include the creation of mandatory officer development and an increase in educational and training requirements.
Firehouse bedrooms and bathrooms: The ongoing debate. FireRescue1, Linda Willing (2018)
This article addresses some issues faced with open dorms and lack of bathrooms and the challenges faced finding the balance between health, privacy, and camaraderie in the firehouse.
Gender Bias and its Impact on Women’s Advancement in the Fire Service Giard (2003)
This research project identifies the barriers impeding women’s advancement in the fire service and makes recommendations that fire departments may employ to increase women’s presence as chief executive officers.
Gender neutral or gender inclusive? What to consider in fire station design. FireRescue1, Linda Willing (2020)
This article is a great introduction however it doesn’t address the desire for privacy that trans and non-binary firefighters may have.
Guide to Best Practices in Volunteer Firefighter Recruitment and Retention Pennsylvania Fire and Emergency Services Institute (2019)
Guide to Screening and Selection in Employment Ontario Human Rights Commission - Employment (2007)
This guide can help ensure that hiring processes within your organization do not discriminate against individuals.
Guidelines for Accommodating Pregnancy and Breastfeeding City of Toronto (2017)
The City’s Accommodation Policy outlines the obligation to accommodate individuals in accordance with the City’s Human Rights and Anti-Harassment/Discrimination Policy and Ontario’s Human Rights Code (Code). This guideline raises awareness and fulfills our shared obligation to accommodate employees, job applicants and service recipients based on the ground of sex, which includes Pregnancy and Breastfeeding. The Code requires that all employees, job applicants and service recipients receive equal treatment and opportunities regardless of their sex, including the right to equal treatment without discrimination because a person is, was, or may become pregnant.
How an Oil Rig Shed its Macho Culture and Became Safer and More Productive Quartz, Louise Lee (2013)
This article delves into how it is possible for a “macho” workplace to shed its machismo and produce positive benefits.
How mentoring can foster officer development FireRescue1, Victoria Mikulan (2019)
In this article, two officers offer their insights into the benefits of mentorship.
How Reverse Mentoring Can Lead to More Equitable Workplaces Stanford Social Innovation Review, Sharlene Gandhi (2019)
In this article the author discusses how we need to reimagine the traditional mentor and mentee relationship to shift power to younger and less experienced colleagues who possess unique insight into bias and racial dynamics.
Improve Workplace Culture with a Strong Mentoring Program Forbes, Naz Beheshti (2019)
This article discusses how mentoring programs can be a win for all. Focus is placed on how mentorship creates positive effects on diversity, types of mentoring programs, and keys to a successful mentoring program.
Interviewing and Making Hiring Decisions Ontario Human Rights Commission (2008)
This section describes the human rights issues that commonly arise in interviews, some of the types of questions that legally may or may not be asked, and how to make hiring decisions that do not contravene the Human Rights Code.
Locking in Your Leadership: Toolkit for Developing a Diversity and Inclusion Strategy Canadian Institute of Diversity and Inclusion (2014)
This report was developed in collaboration with over 100 public and private sector groups. It covers areas such as how to develop a diversity and inclusion strategy using guiding principles, examining competitive advantage, completing a SWOT analysis, critical success factors and dependencies, etc.
Making Mentoring Work Catalyst (2010)
This product is designed to help you think critically about your formal mentoring program. Catalyst provides data and information, assessment checklists for you to rate your efforts, and strategies to help you augment your efforts in the form of real-life Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) practices and concrete strategic tools and samples. These will help you best assess what steps and measures will be most useful for your organization.
Making U.S. Fire Departments More Diverse and Inclusive Harvard Business Review, Corrinne Bendersky (2018)
This article examines “gendered” fire services from an American perspective.
Many Faces, One Purpose, A Manager’s Handbook on Women in Firefighting Department of Homeland Security (1999)
This book was developed to help the fire service leader manage the changing fire service workforce as it becomes progressively more inclusive of larger numbers of women in all ranks. It offers guidance and suggestions from people with experience and expertise, and provides choices and options more often than single “right” answers.
Many Faces, One Purpose: A Manager’s Handbook on Women in Firefighting FEMA (1999)
This U.S.-based resource was developed to help the fire service leader manage the changing fire service workforce as it becomes progressively more inclusive of larger numbers of women in all ranks.
Many Women Strong: A Handbook for Women Firefighters FEMA (1999)
A classic text still useful for women on the job, this handbook was created to help women who would like to become firefighters, as well as those who have just started on the job and are seeking guidance.
Maternal and Child Health Among Female Firefighters in the U.S. Jahnke, Poston, Jitnarin, & Haddock (2018)
This research article analyzes the finding of 1821 female firefighters who participated in a self-report survey of questions about pregnancy including their departments’ policies and practices and their own experiences of pregnancy. Findings found important implications for policy and practice among women who become pregnant while actively serving in the fire service.
Meeting the Accommodation Needs of Employees on the Job Ontario Human Rights Commission (2008)
This section defines the principle of accommodation and how unions and employers can take an active role in their duty to accommodate.
Mentoring: A Formula for Success in the Fire Service California Firefighter Joint Apprenticeship Committee (2020)
This link describes the benefits of mentoring programs and how to custom build a program for your department.
Mentorship as a Tool for Growth, Inclusion, and Equity Idealist, Yejin Lee (2020)
The author of this article examines how some models of mentorship can lead to inequitable practices. She describes how organizations can set up inclusive and equitable mentorship programs or practices that lead to growth.
NFPA 1582, Standard on Medical Requirements for Fire Fighters NFPA (2007)
Annex D of this standard is intended to serve as guidance for the re department physician in advising the pregnant firefighter of the risks associated with performing essential job functions and enabling her in decision-making.
Policy on Preventing Discrimination Because of Gender Identity and Gender Discrimination Ontario Human Rights Commission (2020)
This link contains legislation explaining how accessibility to washrooms and change rooms must be granted based on lived gender identity and further states an organization’s washroom facilities and any related policy should not negatively affect trans people.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in First Responders and Other Designated Workers WSIB Ontario (2018)
This policy applies to decisions made on or after September 1, 2018, for accidents on or after January 1, 1998. The purpose of this policy is to outline the circumstances under which PTSD in first responders and other designated workers is presumed to be work-related.
Pregnancy & Human Rights in the Workplace – A Guide for Employers Canadian Human Rights Commission
This policy will help employers, unions, and employees under federal jurisdiction to better understand their legal rights, obligations, and duties regarding pregnancy-related discrimination issues. It will also explain some of the employer benefits of providing respectful and inclusive workplaces for pregnant employees, identify potentially discriminatory practices, and offer practical solutions.
Pregnancy and firefighting: Is firefighting bad for your baby? FireRescue1, Sara Jahnke (2020)
This article contains research impact of the job on pregnant firefighters, potential health risks to pregnancy, the impact on men, and the importance of exposure prevention.
Pregnancy and Parental Leave Ministry of Labour, Training, and Skills Development (2020)
This link speaks to pregnancy and parental leave legislation in Ontario in accordance to the Employment Standards Act and the federal Employment Insurance Act.
Real World Training and Consulting Newsletter Linda Willing (2020)
This monthly newsletter links current events and issues to the daily challenges faced by fire and emergency services managers. Current topics in the areas of leadership development, workplace diversity, change management, and conflict resolution are discussed.
Recommendations for Improving the Recruiting and Hiring of Los Angeles Firefighters RAND Corporation, Haddison, Lim, Keller, et al. (2015)
This report presents a three-month review of Los Angeles’s fire-fighter hiring policies and practices that was conducted, paying particular attention to effectiveness and fairness. It makes recommendations that are intended to increase efficiency, transparency, and inclusiveness.
Recovery and Return to Work First Responders First
This link specifically speaks to return to work considerations for a PTSD plan, and advice for accommodating a worker with PTSD. It also speaks to legislative requirements.
Report from the Symposium on Women and the Workplace – How employers can advance equality and diversity Government of Canada (2019)
This report highlights three components to advancing workplace gender equality and diversity in Canada: 1) Increasing awareness about gender equality and challenging widespread myths; 2) changing structures instead of people and 3) adopting an intersectional approach to gender equality in the workplace. These best practices cover hiring, retention and career advancement.
Resources for Advancing Racial Equity in your Workforce Zander Lurie, CEO Survey Monkey (2020)
This page provides free survey templates so that leaders and HR teams can learn about their employees and start treating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) like a tangible business metric. It also contains discounts for non-profits that are fighting for equality and other resources to help you build a better company in your community. These surveys were designed to be a blueprint for better listening and learning, and a driver for positive change.
Retention and Recruitment for the Volunteer Fire Services: Challenges and Solutions U.S. Fire Administration (2007)
This project shares findings on what makes community members want to volunteer, how to retain volunteers, and the reasons why volunteers eventually choose to leave the organization. The document addresses challenges with recruiting women and other underrepresented groups, and reasons why female firefighters leave the job. Some of the language is dated, but the content is applicable beyond the American context.
Return to Work Plans for Ontario Workplaces Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, Greg Thomson (2018)
This link provides useful information about return to work legislation, how it applies to employers, and the details that need to be included in a return to work plan.
Setting Job Requirements Ontario Human Rights Commission (2008)
This document explains how employers can ensure that job requirements are reasonable and made in good faith, provides criteria for bona fide job requirements.
Sexual Harassment in the Workplace - How Companies Can Prepare, Prevent, Respond, and Transform Their Culture Daley, Travis, Shaffer
This paper describes four important actions organizations can take to create safe and fair workplaces: Prepare, Prevent, Respond, and Transform.
Ted Talk: How to Design Gender Bias out of Your Workplace Sara Sanford (2018)
This talk offers strategies to help companies go beyond good intentions, using a data-driven standard to actively counter unconscious bias and foster gender equity -- by changing how workplaces operate, not just how people think.
The case for space: Many firefighters want more privacy at the station FireRescue1, Linda Willing (2020)
This article speaks to how firefighters can still achieve camaraderie without communal space living situations.
The Competitive Advantage: A Business Case for Hiring Women in the Skilled Trades and Technical Professions Status of Women Canada (2015)
This business case is intended for an audience of employers, industry associations and other business stakeholders who recognize that to compete in a global market, an organization must address the key issues affecting its overall performance, including productivity, workplace safety and skill shortages. Improving the representation of women can support an organization’s overall competitiveness. Achieving gender diversity in the workplace requires executive and senior level leadership to promote, support and remain accountable to achieving workplace gender diversity and ensuring a workplace culture that supports its value.
The Toronto Professional Firefighters’ Association’s Family Resource Guide TPFFA (2019)
This guide helps association members navigate pregnancy and/or parenting while working as a member of Local 3888. Other Locals or fire service leaders may wish to model items addressed in this manual since it is intended for anyone who is pregnant or parenting, adopting or fostering children, or considering any of these roles. While some sections of this document, especially those regarding physical job demands, are more focused on pregnant membership in the Operations Division, this document is intended as a resource to all members.
The Wildfire Within: Firefighter Perspectives on Gender and Leadership in Wildland Fire Rachel Reimer, Royal Roads University (2018)
This project employed a feminist appreciative approach to Action Research to facilitate a conversation about gender and leadership within the British Columbia Wildfire Service (BCWS).
Toronto Police Service – Equity, Inclusion and Human Rights - Frequently Asked Questions Toronto Police Services (2020)
This link looks at Human Rights legislation, defines diversity and inclusion, its importance, and how diversity and inclusion is different than employment equity and affirmative action.
Training, Promotions and Advancement Ontario Human Rights Commission (2008)
This link describes why every employee should be treated equally for internal and external training opportunities in the organization and stresses all decisions made related to training opportunities should be made using a non-discriminatory process.
Understanding the Volunteer Deficit Will Lead to Better Recruitment and Retention Public Safety, Kupietz (2019)
This article addresses how it is becoming increasingly difficult for fire departments to recruit and retain quality volunteers.
Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, represented by the President of the Treasury Board (2011)
This site describes the values and expected behaviors that guide public servants in all activities related to their professional duties.
Volunteer Firefighter Recruitment and Retention Strategy Alberta Fire Chiefs Association (2010)
This paper was designed to develop a strategy to assist volunteer fire departments in recruiting and retaining volunteer firefighter personnel, along with an associated toolkit for use by departments.
Women’s Health in the Fire Service IAFF (2019)
This article speaks to women’s pregnancy experiences in the fire service, issues surrounding lack of policy, facilities for breastfeeding, and legislation.