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Work 45 (2013) 97–105 97
DOI 10.3233/WOR-121549
IOS Press
A qualitative study on the experiences of
female firefighters
Kathryn Sindena,∗, Joy MacDermida,b, Stephanie Buckmana, Bonnie Davisa, Tracy Matthewsaand
Carrie Violaa
aSchool of Rehabilitation Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
bHand and Upper Limb Center, Clinical Research Laboratory, St. Joseph’s Health Center, London, ON, Canada
Received 27 July 2011
Accepted 5 October 2011
Abstract.
PURPOSE: Firefighters are exposed to high physical and psychological occupational factors while providing an essential service
to our communities. Female firefighters represent a minority group in this male dominated occupation. The purpose of this study
was to qualitatively determine the impact of a male dominated, physically demanding occupation on women’s work health and
job satisfaction through the experiences of female firefighters.
METHODS: A phenomenological approach was used to collect data through semi-structured, recorded interviews with female
firefighters. The recorded interviews were transcribed into text and inductive thematic analysis was used to qualitatively analyze
the transcripts.
RESULTS: Review and analysis of the participant responses identified seven themes: physical demands/difficulties, gender
related physiological differences, compensatory strategies, equipment mal-adaptation, earning respect, negative attitudes of male
counterparts: impact on social inclusion and health behaviors, recognition of injury risk.
CONCLUSION: Female firefighters are exposed to increased risk of injury due to the psychological and physical occupational
stressors in firefighting. Implications of this research are provided and include recommendations for future research to target the
physical and psychosocial aspects of firefighting.
Keywords: Musculoskeletal disorders, injury prevention, phenomenology
1. Introduction
Firefighters provide urgent and essential services to
our communities. Meeting the requirements of their
role requires intermittent periods of peak physical ac-
tivity placing them at increased risk for musculoskele-
tal and cardiovascular injury compared to other occu-
pations [1–3]. Occupational risk factors contribute to
onset of musculoskeletal injury and include the force,
∗Corresponding author: Kathryn Sinden PhD (candidate), School
of Rehabilitation Sciences, McMaster University, IAHS 402, 1400
Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 1C7, Canada. Tel.: +1 905
525 9140 x 26410; Fax: +1 905 524 0069; E-mail: sindenk@
mcmaster.ca.
repetition, duration, work postures and contact stress
involved in work tasks [4,5]. Psychosocial work de-
mands and individual psychological stress have also
been identified to pre-dispose workersto musculoskele-
tal injury and adverse health status [6]. Workplace in-
jury prevention programs have demonstrated effective-
ness in mitigating workplace risk factors and reduc-
ing the burden associated with workplace disability in
firefighters [7]. Understanding the factors that predis-
pose firefighters to injury at work with a view to risk
reduction is critical to development of effective injury
prevention programs.
In addition to recognition as a physically demand-
ing occupation with psychosocial factors, firefighting
is identified as a male dominated work environment.
1051-9815/13/$27.50 2013 – IOS Press and the authors. All rights reserved
AUTHOR COPY
98 K. Sinden et al. / A qualitative study on the experiences of female firefighters
A male dominant work environment has been clas-
sified as one where over 60% of the employees are
men [8]. Women have recently entered the occupation
of firefighting and represent just over 3% of firefight-
ers in the United States [9]. Despite the small num-
ber of female firefighters, understanding the relation-
ship between occupation and gender for firefighters of
this early cohort is essential when developing effective
injury management programs. Previous research [2,
3] has examined the epidemiology of firefighting. For
example, Liao et al. [2] explored correlates between
firefighter injury frequency and duration, demograph-
ics, personality and economics to facilitate develop-
ment of strategies to mitigate injury. An important
finding was that female firefighters reported 33% more
injuries than their male counterparts, a relationship that
persisted when age, race, tenure and personality were
controlled. Additionally, previous researchers have ex-
amined the effect of gender on both simulated firefight-
ing task performance [10,11] and physiological out-
comes [12,13]. Females’ cardio-pulmonary, muscle
strength, muscle endurance and task performance out-
come measures consistently differed when compared
to their male-counterparts. Another study designed
to determine the affect of ergonomic modifications on
firefighting task performance identified that females re-
spond differently than males on occupational perfor-
mance [14]. These studies suggest that gender is an
important factor to consider in epidemiology related to
firefighting as well as firefighting task performance.
Female firefighters offer a unique cohort to under-
stand the barriers and facilitators to performing work
in a complex work environment. As women respond to
the physical and physiological demands of firefighting
differently than men, it is reasonable to anticipate that
they will also experience the work environment differ-
ently than their male counterparts. The interrelation-
ship between gender, physical demands and psychoso-
cial constructs in firefighting has not been extensive-
ly explored. A study that explored the risk of muscu-
loskeletal injury associated with two firefighting tasks
interviewed the female firefighter participants to obtain
information about the perceptual difference in risk in
firefighting between males and females [15]. The re-
sults of the interview were not presented but might have
provided useful information about adaptive strategies
that may have further informed the ergonomic analy-
sis. Understanding how women experience the work
environment and identification of barriers and facilita-
tors to work performance may inform how these job
factors interrelate. Furthermore, the interrelationship
between gender and job content may assist in identifi-
cation of potential occupational risk factors and facil-
itate development of an effective injury management
program. Consequently, the aim of this study was to
understand how a male-dominant, physically demand-
ing work environment impacts female work health and
job satisfaction through exploration of the positive and
negative experiences of female firefighters.
2. Methods
2.1. Design
A phenomenological approach is used in qualitative
research to describe individuals’ experiences with a
particular phenomenon and to determine the meaning
of that experience for the individuals [16]. Descriptive
phenomenology requires that the researcher be aware
of any pre-existing ideas or suppositions about the phe-
nomena and bracket these biases to allow objective
analysis of the phenomenon [16]. Interpretive phe-
nomenology does not require bracketing as the premise
is that biases cannot be separated from the researcher
and consequently, cannot be put aside [16]. The prima-
ry purpose of this study was to understand the lived ex-
perience of women working in a male-dominant, phys-
ically demanding occupation consequently a descrip-
tive phenomenological approach was used to collect
qualitative data.
2.2. Participants and recruitment
The occupational context for this study was a fire-
fighting service in Southwestern Ontario. A recruit-
ment letter was forwarded to all five female firefighters
who were employed in this municipality, which result-
ed in a response rate of 80%. The study participants
consisted of 4 female firefighters who had a mean age
of 35.2 years and 3.7 years of firefighting experience.
All participants had a college education.
2.3. Data collection
To identify the barriers and facilitators experienced
by female firefighters, semi-structured telephone in-
terviews were conducted and recorded for purpose of
analysis. Telephone interviewing has been identified
as a reliable and efficient method of obtaining indi-
vidual experiences when compared to face-to-face in-
terviews [17,18]. Furthermore, telephone interviewing
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K. Sinden et al. / A qualitative study on the experiences of female firefighters 99
–Why did you decide to become a firefighter?
–What expectations did you have when entering the firefighting profession about the demands of the job?
–Has firefighting met all of the your expectations? Why or why not?
–Have you experienced any discrimination, harassment or poor attitudes from your male counterparts?
–Have you experienced any problems with equipment you use for your job?
–Have you had to make any types of modifications to your environment in terms of equipment or attitudes of other people to maximize
your abilities?
–What types of injuries are all firefighters likely to encounter and is there a difference because you are a female?
–What recommendations would you make to an employer in terms of safety and job satisfaction for a female firefighter?
–What recommendations would you make to females interested in becoming a firefighter and to prepare for this job?
Fig. 1. Example of interview questions.
was anticipated to limit participants’ response inhibi-
tion. Four independent researchers conducted the in-
terviews, which lasted approximately 45 minutes, to
ensure confidentiality of participant responses. The in-
terview questions were investigator developed to elicit
discussion regarding the experience of female firefight-
ers and included questions regarding: job expectations
and attitudes, workplace injuries and recommendations
for the employer, treatment provider and peers contem-
plating firefighting as an occupation (see Fig. 1). The
interviews were conducted while the participants were
off-shift to create an environment that would facilitate
direct and honest responses.
Prior to the qualitative interviews, a brief question-
naire was provided to each of the study participants
to obtain demographic, employment history, physical
fitness and work injury information that might impact
their experiences as a firefighter. As well, descrip-
tive phenomenology requires that researchers become
aware of any pre-suppositionsor bias related to the phe-
nomenon and use methods to separate prior experiences
from the data collection and analysis [16]. Each of the
researchers in this study identified and bracketed their
experiences and bias related to firefighting and female
experience in a male-dominated occupation to limit in-
terpretative biases prior to conducting the interviews.
A post-positivist approach framed the data collection
and analysis [19].
2.4. Analysis
The recorded interviews were transcribed into type
written text and qualitatively analyzed using an induc-
tive thematic analysis approach [20]. Inductive themat-
ic analysis is a method for identifying, analyzing and
reporting patterns or themes independently from exist-
ing theoretical frameworks or categories. The analysis
followed the six phases of thematic analysis described
by Braun and Clarke [20]; familiarizing with data, gen-
erating initial codes, searching for themes, reviewing
themes, defining and naming themes, and producing
the report.
The transcribed interviews were initially reviewed
by one of the researchers and highlighted prevalent
statements, ideas and contemplations. Common per-
ceptions and experiences were identified and devel-
oped into themes. All of the researchers met to discuss
the identified themes and any bracketed assumptions
or biases. The reviewer returned to the transcripts to
modify and refine the identified themes subsequent to
discussion with the researchers. For each theme, the
reviewer then assigned text for coding and identified
quotes associated with the codes from the transcripts.
The researchers again reviewed the coding from the
transcripts and quotes and any differences were dis-
cussed until group consensus was reached. To verify
the trustworthiness of the data, the identified themes
and quotes were also reviewed with the study partici-
pants (“member checking”). Feedback was requested
including identification of themes that may be missing
and those that represented their intended expressions of
experience as a female firefighter. Any identified dif-
ferences were again discussed amongst the researchers
until general consensus was obtained.
3. Results
Commonality between participants was acknowl-
edged in their passion and desire to help people, which
were further identified as the primary reason for en-
tering the firefighting profession. Based on review and
analysis of the participant responses, seven themes
were identified. All study participants provided agree-
ment to the identified themes. A description of each
of the identified themes is provided below followed
by quotes that reflect perspectives associated with the
identified themes.
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100 K. Sinden et al. / A qualitative study on the experiences of female firefighters
3.1. Physical demands/difficulties
It was clear from the interviews that the participants
recognized that firefighting is a physically demanding
profession. Various components of firefighting were
discussed as being the most physically challenging in-
cluding “...advance the hose line up several flights
of stairs...”and“...another physically demanding
part of the job is after the fire is out is doing over-
haul. You’re pulling down ceilings, pulling down walls
like demolition...”. The participants all discussed that
their initial expectations of firefighting were that the
job would be both physically and mentally demanding
but the physical element represented a potential barrier
to entering the profession.
“The tests that we have to do to get on made it
clear that it was going to be [physically] demanding
because that was very, very difficult.”
“Mentally, I knew that I could do it (firefighting)
but physically that was more what I was concerned
about.”
The participants also recognized the strength and
endurance demands associated with firefighting and
the importance of maintaining their physical fitness to
maintain occupational performance.
“...you have to have endurance, to be a firefight-
er ...your adrenaline helps you get through ...it
helps you advance the hose line up and helps you
to put the fire out but then after that the adrenaline
is gone and you still have to take down the ceiling
and the walls and break up the floors so you really
need endurance.”
“(Firefighting) is a very physically demanding job
and part of my responsibility was to maintain my
physical abilities.”
3.2. Gender related physiological differences
There was recognition among the participants that
physiological differences between males and females
predispose females to disadvantages when performing
firefighting tasks. The female firefighters also iden-
tified a commitment to maintain their level of physi-
cal ability to be able to perform to the occupational
standards expected of firefighters.
“...for a woman it is difficult because you are
working above your head and our upper body
strength is not the same as a mans because that is
just the way we are built...”
“Females are already 20% not as strong as their
male counterparts...so you really have to maintain
that or you’re going to be weaker.”
3.3. Compensatory strategies
Participants discussed that the physiological disad-
vantages experienced compelled them to develop com-
pensatory strategies to be able to perform their work
tasks effectively. During the interviews, the female
firefighters demonstrated creative, innovative solutions
to mitigate deficits experienced with firefighting tasks.
The female firefighters expressed that learning to per-
form tasks independently was an important considera-
tion in being accepted as a member of the team.
“Body mechanics more than anything...the guys
can usually manhandle things; I had to learn to use
my body a bit more effectively.”
“There’s these special plugs that don’t allow water
in and are really hard to push together. I learned
a trick of just putting them between my knees and
as I push with my hands, I push with my knees at
the same time. I can put them together now no
problem.”
“There can’t be anything we can’t do or else we’re
never going to be accepted...in the fire department
you have to learn to never ask for help...you have
to figure out how and just find a way...just do it!”
3.4. Equipment mal-adaptation
Several participants acknowledged that critical ele-
ments of firefighting equipment were too large and bet-
ter suited for their male counterparts. The participants
discussed that they were able to develop and implement
adaptive strategies to alleviate these barriers. Accord-
ing to the participants, equipment designed for wom-
en is commercially available but is not always locally
provided.
“The boots are always too big on me and the bunker
pants...everything is just kind of big and fits more
loosely because it’s suited more for a man. They
do have female gear out there but we don’t have it.”
“...we have a breathing apparatus that includes a
face piece and the face piece was too big so I let
them know and they got me a smaller one and that
happened with three other girls as well...”
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K. Sinden et al. / A qualitative study on the experiences of female firefighters 101
3.5. Earning respect
Respect as a firefighter was discussed from various
perspectives. A common theme identified was the need
for rookie firefighters to earn their respect within the
firefighting team. The participants discussed women
entering the profession need to remove any precon-
ceived ideas and thoughts that they will be accepted
into firefighting because of their gender.
“You have to earn your stripes basically, you know
what I mean...their respect. A lot of women walk
right on the job expecting their respect and you have
to earn it...”
“ When you come on new, whether you are [male
or female], you have to pay your dues...you have
to prove yourself before you get some respect.”
An additional perspective discussed by the partici-
pants was that firefighting is well respected by the pub-
lic, which was viewed as a positive factor that con-
tributed to rationale for entering the profession.
“...the fact that it’s a highly respected job with the
public. The public, they trust you, the people are
usually always glad to see you.”
3.6. Negative attitudes of male counterparts: Impact
on social inclusion and health behaviors
The participants collectively commented on experi-
ences where gender influenced behavior and attitudes
of their male counterparts. The attitudes of male coun-
terparts were discussed as both a barrier and a facili-
tator to a positive work environment, job performance
and adopting adaptive strategies to reduce injury risk.
Although the participants were prepared for the chal-
lenges and negative perceptions that they were exposed
to upon entering firefighting, negative male attitudes
towards female firefighters affected overall job satis-
faction and work environment. Female firefighters dis-
cussed that there was some resistance from their male
counterparts as they were excluded from training and
social activities. Negative male attitudes also affect-
ed their ability to request assistance to perform phys-
ically demanding tasks and further the adoption and
implementation of health and safety behaviors. When
implementing strategies to overcome equipment mal-
adaptation, female firefighters discussed that they were
exposed to negative comments from their male coun-
terparts. Interestingly, the participants tended to down-
play this negative male behavior. Furthermore,the par-
ticipants indicated that development of strategic health
and safety programs specific to females would be coun-
terproductiveand be perceived negatively by their male
counterparts. The participants acknowledged that atti-
tudes towards female firefighters are changing and pro-
gressing in a positive direction. There was a sense that
this progression would make the job more enjoyable
and improve job satisfaction.
“Some people have attitudes that aren’t going to
change no matter what you do, no matter how good
of afirefighter you are...you’re a woman in man’s
job and you shouldn’t be here.”
“...They (male counterparts) refused to train us
because they didn’t want us to be good. Because
if we were good, then I guess they wouldn’t look
masculine maybe, I don’t know...they wouldn’t
even let me play basketball with them because it
was a ‘boy’s club’.”
“...To ensure job satisfaction...maybe put them
(female firefighters) in a station that you know that
the guys there are going to welcome a female fire-
fighter rather than think that she does not belong
there.”
“...it’s not a really big deal what the gloves are.
They don’t really say anything, just “Oh...she
needs her little gloves” kind of thing. Big deal.”
“Now it’s becoming more acceptable (females in
firefighting). I don’t think that the girls coming on
would have as much of a hard time as I did – and I
didn’t have it that rough.”
3.7. Recognition of injury risk
The participants identified that fire fighting is a physi-
cally demanding job and identified the physical strength
and endurance requirements of firefighting increase of
risk for injury. They further identified emotional and
mental strains resulting from work conditions and ac-
knowledged workplace programs that support and pro-
vide strategies to manage this aspect of their job. The
participants discussed recommendations to reduce in-
jury risk, which focused on changing biomechanical
exposure and maintaining whole body conditioning to
ensure effective job performance.
“...I had to take a medical call where there was
an infant death and that was kind of hard to
deal with however, we do have a program with-
in the fire department called ‘Critical Incident
Stress’ and if there is a critical incident that would
cause us stress...we have the people in the fire
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102 K. Sinden et al. / A qualitative study on the experiences of female firefighters
department...who are trained to come and talk
with us.”
“I don’t think that there’s a difference because I’m
a female ...Generally a lot of the time when you
get injured it’s the back because you’re lifting the
wrong way and you injure your back...you get a
little bit out of shape so you don’t do things prop-
erly.”
4. Discussion
This study identified the occupational experiences
of female firefighters with a view to inform health and
injury prevention. While female firefighters share the
same high task demands as their male counterparts,
their physical differences, the fit of equipment and the
social environment all contribute to increased task dif-
ficulty. Female firefighters expressed that these chal-
lenges were not unexpected and that they were prepared
to develop strategies to ensure continued occupational
and task performance.
One of the prevalent themes recognized by the par-
ticipants was that firefighting is a physically demanding
occupation. Successful firefighting performance has
been positively correlated with muscular strength [11],
aerobic [11–13] and anaerobic capacity [11,13]. Simu-
lated firefighting tasks are used to quantify the strength
and endurance requirements of firefighting. The hose
pull, stair climb while carrying a hose pack, simulated
victim drag and equipment hoist are firefighting tasks
identified to represent the physical and physiological
demands of firefighting [11]. These tasks are similar to
the firefighting tasks that comprise the Candidate Phys-
ical Ability Test (CPAT) [12,13] a standard entry test
that firefighters must complete and pass. Studies [11–
13] have recently identified the high physical and phys-
iological requirements associated with successful com-
pletion of the CPAT and have further recommended
programs targeting aerobic and anaerobic fitness to im-
prove firefighting performance. The participants in this
study recognized the importance of maintaining their
overall fitness to sustain their firefighting performance.
It will be important in developing physical maintenance
programs to consider both the physical demands of fire-
fighting and physiological gender differences.
The experiences of female firefighters support previ-
ous research [12,13] that females perform less well than
males on aerobic, anaerobic and strength outcomesdur-
ing simulated firefighting tasks. Furthermore, females
are much more likely to be unable to complete the fire-
fighter CPAT due to fatigue than men with an 85% ver-
sus 9% failure rate across genders [12]. The majority of
participants did not acknowledge endurance when dis-
cussing physiological differences between males and
females. Participants may not separate strength and
endurance concepts in a biomedical way or be aware
of gender differences in endurance since they are not
as visibly obvious as strength differences. The partici-
pants identified strength-training programs as a way to
mitigate physical gender differences in firefighting and
again, did not address strategies to compensate for en-
durance differences. The findings of this study suggest
that female firefighters require increased awareness of
the importance of maintaining strength as well as en-
durance to ensure optimum firefighting performance.
Our study findings also suggest that the impact of gen-
der on the endurance component of training programs
is an important aspect to address in future research.
In addition to compensating for strength deficits the
female firefighters in our study discussed development
of compensatory strategies to ease performing chal-
lenging firefighting tasks. The primary adaptation strat-
egy employed was using body momentum to facilitate
task completion. Although the adaptive strategies facil-
itated task completion, there is an association between
awkward postures and increased risk of musculoskele-
tal disorders (MSDs) that was not recognized by the
participants [4,5]. Occupational risk factors that con-
tribute to onset of musculoskeletal disorders and dis-
ability from work include the force, repetition, dura-
tion, work postures and contact stress involved in work
tasks [4,5]. The adaptation of compensatory strategies
may be a mechanism for female firefighters to prove
their ability and worth to their male colleagues. Re-
gardless, this reluctance to request assistance when per-
forming tasks that exceed their physical capability is a
potential contributor to injury risk to female firefight-
ers. Future research to determine the biomechanical
and physical burden associated with adaptive strategies
used in firefighting is recommended to inform devel-
opment of injury management programs. Gender is al-
so recommended as an important consideration of this
research.
In addition to developing adaptive strategies to facil-
itate performance, the female firefighters discussed that
the fitoffirefighting equipment challenged their occu-
pational performance. Equipment fit has been com-
monly identified as an issue for women entering fire-
fighting [9,21]. The participants specifically expressed
that the face piece component of the self-contained
breathing apparatus (SCBA) was too large and required
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K. Sinden et al. / A qualitative study on the experiences of female firefighters 103
modification. The fact that equipment is necessary but
burdensome is a recurrent theme in firefighter health [1,
22]. The SCBA is a critical component of firefight-
ing equipment as it protects firefighters from inhaling
smoke, ash and other inhalants. Proper fit of the face
piece is important to the health and safety of individuals
working in occupations such as firefighting where there
is exposure to inhalation hazards [23]. Females’ fa-
cial anthropometric measures significantly differ from
men as they have significantly smaller, shorter and nar-
rower faces then men [23]. The study participants did
discuss limitations with the equipment with their fire
department and were able to obtain equipment that fit.
That female firefighters clearly identify and articulate
concerns with safety equipment but do not request as-
sistance with difficult tasks, may suggest that there is
a “safety threshold” for firefighters. If a work condi-
tion is considered life threatening it may be that it war-
rants discussion and action within the fire department
compared to a work condition that is considered an
injury risk. Regardless, the participants’ negative ex-
periences with equipment reflect study findings which
support that protective equipment, especially the face
piece component of the SCBA, needs to be adapted
to the anthropometric measurements of the individual
user.
Females perceive that they have to prove themselves
to their male colleagues, as reflected in their creative
and innovative solutions to challenging tasks and equip-
ment mal-adaptation. The participants acknowledged
that firefighting as a profession is highly respected by
the community [24] respect within the profession how-
ever, was perceived as something to be earned. Earning
respect was associated with performing less meaning-
ful tasks, which may be a way of demonstrating ability
and willingness to perform any job that contributes to
the team success. Female firefighters demonstrate be-
haviors to ensure that they do not represent a burden
and to gain the respect of their male counterparts.
Previous research [25] has found that females
working in a male-dominated environment experience
greater levels of anxiety and job strain, sexism, and
lower job satisfaction and increased co-worker conflict.
Psychosocial work demands and individual psycholog-
ical stress have been also been identified to pre-dispose
workers to musculoskeletal injury and adverse health
status [6]. Furthermore, job satisfaction and health out-
comes have been strongly and positively correlated to
the amount of social support at work [8,25,26]. Our
study also identified that job satisfaction would be im-
proved by ensuring a positive work environmentwhere
female firefighters are placed into stations where wom-
en are accepted and integrated into the work environ-
ment.
Furthermore, discussions reflected negative experi-
ences with being excluded from social activities partici-
pated in by the participants’ male counterparts. Several
of the participants were excluded from social activities
and when invited, determined that the activities were
not appropriate or they did not have the skills required
to participate in the activities [i.e., golf]. Social exclu-
sion as a construct of workplace psychosocial factors
has been identified as a precursor to adverse health ef-
fects including predisposition to MSDs [6,8]. An op-
portunity for future research is to determine the impact
of recreational and social exclusion on health outcomes
including musculoskeletal disorders. Interestingly, the
participants all discussed that despite these perceptions
and experiences, there is a sense of growing acceptance
and reduced stereotypes from their male counterparts.
The findings of this study suggest that female fire-
fighters in this cohort are exposed to multiple gender
specific factors that increase risk of injury and adverse
health outcomes. Interestingly, 75% of the study par-
ticipants did not perceivethat females are at greater risk
of injury. A possible explanation of this finding is that
this study population has been exposed to prior nega-
tive male attitudes and is developing coping strategies
to equalize with their male counterparts. Psychological
and emotional stress has been identified as an important
hazard of firefighting [1,21,24,27]. Our study partici-
pants identified exposure to emotionally stressful situ-
ations but they were not clearly identified as an injury
risk factor. This may be because of stigma associated
with mental health conditions [28].
A similar strategy was also noted when participants
were asked about to provide recommendations specif-
ic for female firefighters to reduce injury risk. The
respondents feared being isolated or singled-out by
their male counterparts as a common response was that
males would perceive a female specific modification as
“...something else we have to do for them.” As fire-
fighting is a “team-oriented” profession, it may be that
these submissive coping strategies may be employed to
maintain their status within the team and prevent iso-
lation. A strategy where female firefighters minimize
their individual needs to maintain safety and perfor-
mance to gain respect from their male counterparts may
be maladaptive in the longer term.
4.1. Limitations
Female firefighters represent a small but growing
percentage of firefighters. The sample size for this
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104 K. Sinden et al. / A qualitative study on the experiences of female firefighters
study resembles the limited distribution of female fire-
fighters in the profession. The 80% response rate does
suggest that it is reasonable to expect that the respons-
es are representative of the female firefighters in this
geographical location.
Similar to other qualitative studies, the study find-
ings and analysis are limited to our context, although
the findings do extend supportto larger-based research.
For example, the study findings support literature that
has identified occupational risk factors for female fire-
fighters and the interrelationship between gender and
psychosocial work factors.
The interview questions were developed to elicit per-
sonal insights into the lived experience of a female
working in a physically demanding, male dominant
work environment. Questions surrounding experiences
with gender issues may haveinfluenced their responses
however the questions were developed to understand
the general experience of female firefighters. The iden-
tified themes represent synthesis and analysis of all in-
terview questions.
An important consideration for future research is the
perception and experience of male firefighters with fe-
male firefighters. Our study was limited to experiences
of female firefighters in a male dominated occupation-
al environment. The experiences of male fire fighters
would provide relevant information about their percep-
tions of barriers and facilitators of integrating female
firefighters into firefighting and may further inform im-
portant considerations for development of occupational
risk management programs.
4.2. Implications
Based on the results of this study, female firefighters
in this municipality are exposed to multiple occupa-
tional factors [1,8] that increase risk for musculoskele-
tal disorders (MSDs) [6]. Future research directed to-
wards extending these findings to other local munici-
palities should be considered as well as understanding
male firefighter perspectives. These study findings do
suggest that gender differences needto be considered in
developing equipment, fitness maintenance programs
and in social integration of a minority group into a
gender dominated occupational environment. Prelimi-
nary recommendations include implementation of sen-
sitivity training to facilitate integration of females in
firefighting, developing comprehensive endurance and
strength training programs and education regarding oc-
cupational risk factors for MSD.
5. Conclusions
The purpose of this study was to identify the female
experience of working in a male dominant, physical
demanding occupation. The context for this study was
female firefighters in a Southwestern Ontario city. The
findings lend support for previous research that demon-
strates physiological differences between male and fe-
male firefighters. In addition, this study provides a
unique perspective of the female emotional and phys-
ical stressors in a male-dominated occupational envi-
ronment. The study findings suggest that female fire-
fighters moderate their emotional and physical perfor-
mance in a male-dominated environment to overcome
negative male attitudes and pre-conceived notions of
physical capability. Female firefighters are exposed to
increased risk of injury due to the physical and emo-
tional occupational stressors. Future research to mit-
igate injury should examine task components of fire-
fighting and consider the interaction between gender
and performance demands in firefighting tasks.
Acknowledgements
The study authors thank Sue Baptiste for her insights
and contributions to the study design. The authors also
wish to thank the female firefighters who shared their
experiences and perceptions of firefighting.
Kathryn Sinden is supported in part by the Joint Mo-
tion Program – A CIHR Training Program in Muscu-
loskeletal Health Research and Leadership.
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