PC spoof becomes hot potato for Fire Service

Station Officer Wayne Bridger greets journalist Julie Middleton, and especially her muffins. Picture / Kenny Rodger

The Fire Service is being accused of sexism after its magazine gave out a spoof "gender purity" award for fire stations that did not employ women.

The "Blokie Award" featured in the December edition of the Fire Service magazine Fire & Rescue.

"The Blokie award recognises gender purity within a fire station," the magazine said.

"It's about stations that aren't afraid to eschew modern ideas of equality and keep women out of their station.

"They grow their moustaches with pride and leave the toilet seat up.

"The stations where women dare not tread, except when carrying scones."

The "winner" of the award was Auckland Central station for employing 51 men and no women. "Take a bow," the magazine enthused.

Act MP Heather Roy said that when she read the awards it "struck a nerve in my usually un-PC bones".

"I'm sure the person writing it intended it as a joke. But I think you have to be very careful about striking the balance between humour and causing offence. "I think it is offensive."

Fire Service chief executive Mike Hall said the award poked fun at an "outgoing culture" within the service.

"[It] shows that fire stations are not the male-dominated institutions of days past," he said.

However, only 3 per cent of career firefighters (48 of 1664) are women.

Women comprise 10 per cent of volunteer firefighters (700 of 6587).

Mr Hall said the fact that the service could poke fun at the "old attitudes" showed how removed the service was from them.

Professional Firefighters Union national secretary Derek Best said he was surprised when he read the "Blokie Award", given that the Fire Service had put so much effort into providing equal employment opportunities.

"Maybe they don't want to look too PC in today's climate," he said.

"But I think it does emphasise the point that while there are growing numbers of women operational firefighters, there are still a lot of stations that don't have any."

Women's Affairs Minister Lianne Dalziel said she thought the award was tongue-in-cheek and was meant to point out that there were still some stations that had no female firefighters.

She said the award could also be interpreted as the Fire Service celebrating having no women in some stations, but she did not think that was the intention. "You can be too precious about these things, but also on the other side you have to be very careful, because when you are sending out messages you can sometimes get your message misread."

Internal Affairs Minister Rick Barker refused to comment.

The Fire Service said it had received no complaints about the award.

But Ms Roy said this did not necessarily mean women had not been offended. "If I was a woman firefighter and I saw that in print I wouldn't be saying anything because I would worry that my comments would be misconstrued."

National Party political correctness eradicator Wayne Mapp said that while the remarks might have been meant in jest it was important to keep comments balanced. "The way to challenge political correctness is not to do the complete opposite, it's not to be insensitive and stupid about it."


Muffins make headway with fire blokes

Well, i have proved one part of the story's theory - that women bearing plates of scones will indeed get into the Auckland Central fire station.

When I ring the bell at the Pitt St station door yesterday afternoon, it's opened by Station Officer Wayne Bridger, who has loo rolls and other bathroom supplies under his arm.

Yes, says the friendly Mr Bridger, he has seen the "Blokie award" story in the Fire Service magazine - he thought "someone was trying to set us up", as the idea didn't come from their end.

A smiley chap, he invites the Herald up to the officers' mess.

There's a vacuum cleaner on the mess floor - chores are being done ahead of the incoming shift - and firefighters Russell Dickson, John Mills and Fred Oates are at the table finishing up afternoon tea. They are friendly chaps, too.

So what's the story with the Blokie award article, I ask.

I mean, it's straining to be lighthearted, but really, doesn't it make the service look a bit prehistoric?

"I can see some people taking umbrage to it, yeah," says Mr Oates, adding that someone near the top would have approved it.

Adds Mr Bridger: "It does make it look as if there is [sexism in the Fire Service]. There are 50 people at Auckland Central; you may have one or two among that who don't like women firefighters."

Mr Dickson: "I don't think any firefighter would go for that [attitude]. You might laugh about [the article], but seriously, no."

There are indeed no women stationed at Auckland Central - though there has been. In fact, one who was stationed there for 10 months, says Mr Bridger, was a New Zealand boxing champion who made short work of a few male challengers in the gym. They are highly amused.

One of the possible reasons there have been few women at Auckland Central, speculates Mr Bridger, is that the station houses specialist equipment which needs certain training and experience, knowledge which many of the women are still learning.

- Julie Middleton