Jan./Feb. 2000 Issue Number 7

Is a monthly electronic newsletter which links current events and issues to the daily challenges faced by fire and emergency services managers. Current topics in the area of sexual harassment, diversity management and conflict resolution will be discussed.

We hope that you find the information here useful and provocative.
Let us know what you think!

Interpersonal Dynamics in Fire Service Organizations, February 7-18, 2000. Emmitsburg, MD. Linda Willing will be co-instructing this class at the National Fire Academy.

Leadership Training Seminar, April 28-30, 2000, Madison, Wisconsin. For more information, contact Women in the Fire Service www.wfsi.org.

New NFA Diversity Course is Ready to Go

The first course that the National Fire Academy has developed focused specifically on diversity issues will soon be offered in a community near you. The two day course, entitled Leading Diverse Communities Beyond Conflict, is designed for field delivery in the United States, and will be offered this year in at least twelve areas from Fairbanks, Alaska to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, as well as during five State Weekends on campus in Emmitsburg, MD.

Instructors, who were handpicked among dozens of applicants, met in Emmitsburg on January 10 and 11 for in-service training in preparation for teaching the course in the field. The instructor pool is among the most diverse ever assembled at the NFA and includes fire service leaders as well as professionals from other related fields.

This new course will be project based, in that a student will have to substantially complete an action project in the months following the course delivery in order to get credit for attending the class. In this sense, the class significantly differs from traditional "diversity awareness" training. The course philosophy says that awareness is not enough. For real change to happen, one must take action.

The projects will be chosen by participating students to meet the needs of their own communities, either within their organizations or within the greater community. Collaboration is encouraged and facilitated within the course structure.

This course will also be offered during the upcoming Fire Rescue International Conference this August in Dallas. Contact the International Association of Fire Chiefs for more information about this specific offering.

Acting on a European court ruling, Britain has eliminated all restrictions on gays and lesbians in its military forces. Soldiers who have been discharged for reasons of sexual orientation will be welcomed back according to the Defense Ministry, and assignments, recruitment, promotion and discipline will henceforth be unaffected by issues related to sexual orientation. Currently, the United States and Turkey are the only members of NATO that continue to ban acknowledged gays and lesbians from military service.

Source: The Washington Post, 1-13-2000.

Speaking the Language

One of the most common concerns among those attending sexual harassment training is what to do about language. "If I call her a lady, she gets mad. If I call her a female, she gets mad. What am I supposed to call her?" Frequently, the next question is: "And what kind of trouble can I get into if I make a mistake?"

Sexual harassment is about power and intimidation, and if the language used is not professionally inappropriate and threatening, it is unlikely that a complaint based on language alone would be successful. But just because language isn't everything doesn't mean it's nothing. Language counts for a lot, and even unintended slights can taint the workplace and cause harm to employees.

It should be obvious that unprofessional or obscene language is never defensible in the workplace. But what about the usual terms people use for women: woman, gal, girl, lady, and female. Are these terms interchangeable? Why do some people get so upset about it anyway?

Professional language should be inclusive, used in a way that indicates that all members of the organization are recognized and equally valued. Using this as a guideline, it may be easier to make good language choices.

Consider the language you use to describe the dominant group (men, in the case of the fire service.) You might say that you have four men on the truck company one day, but the next day you will have three men and one woman. It is not appropriate to say that you have three men and one girl, any more than you would say you had three boys and one woman on the unit.

The terms lady and gentleman are generally used for dealing more formally with strangers or as a way of showing deference or respect to someone you do know. For example, in a formal presentation it makes sense to say, "Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce Chief Smith..." or to recognize someone who wants to ask a question in a meeting as "the gentleman in the back of the room." But it doesn't make sense to refer to the lone woman in the station as a "lady" when everyone else is a "guy."

The words male and female are predominantly adjectives, and the trouble with them comes mainly when they are used improperly as nouns. Male and female can be nouns when used in a clinical sense, such as describing the subjects of a study: "In a study of health risks to firefighters, 20 males and 15 females reported illness related to stress." Generally however, the terms male and female are properly used as adjectives: "Male and female firefighters agree, separate facilities benefit everyone." Very rarely would someone say, "How many males are working at Station 3 today?" and so it should be equally rare that someone asks how many females are on the department.

The terms boy and girl can sometimes be used as slang for adults when they are acting like children, such as when one "goes out drinking with the boys" or joins "girls night out." But be careful. The terms boy and girl were historically used as a way of demeaning adult African-Americans in this country, and are offensive in any context to some people. When in doubt, don't go there.

There are many other terms for men and women, many unprintable, and thus by definition inappropriate in any sense in the workplace. Others may have regional acceptance, and be unacceptable elsewhere. In some parts of the country, women might be casually referred to as gals. In other parts of the country, the phrase you guys is understood to be inclusive of both men and women.

Sometimes members of a particular group will use language among themselves that would be cause for complaint if someone outside the group used it. The best way to handle such ambiguities is to stick with the safe groundörespectful, universally accepted terminology for both men and women when they are at work.

Language does matter. It is a way that members can be either included or alienated from the group or activity taking place. How well does your organization attend to language and the power it has?