Female firefighters as a whole make up a small percentage of departments around the country, and the female firefighters who work for the Cincinnati Fire Department are currently wearing uniforms designed for men because of it.
Assistant Chief Anson Turley told City Council’s Law and Public Safety Committee on Monday that they have plans to change that once the contract with the department’s uniform provider expires in December 2020.
“So within a year, hopefully this will be a non-issue,” Turley said. “That will have a complete set of uniform specifications that are tailored to meet the needs of our female firefighters.”
Turley also stated that they will start meeting with female firefights and address any problems with the current uniforms.
“One significant problem we have is in their station, where their fatigue wear that they wear every day, that only a men’s shirt is available, and then they have to take that shirt and they have to cut it down. In order for them to wear it, it has to be tailored,” Turley said. “Well, part of our new spec will be requiring whoever is going to be our vendor in the future, to come up with a female specification for fatigue shirts. Not only that, but for dress uniforms as well.”
Based on those conversations, the department will develop specifications for the new uniforms heading into 2021 and beyond. A joint committee between the department and the firefighters uniforms will develop the final specs for the uniforms and issue a request from vendors.
Council Member Amy Murray said she’s concerned about waiting until December 2020 to address the issue.
“I have to imagine that there are vendors out, or we start pushing them that we can make choices as people are getting new uniforms in the next 12 to 18 months,” Murray said. “Because I’d like to see that happen sooner, especially things that they’re wearing all the time, 24/7, when they’re on duty.”
The department has plans of addressing the ongoing uniform issue once again in January.
