June 11, 1977

'Differences' cited in ballot

       Two White River Township Volunteer Fire Department officials have denied that a probationary firefighter, Pat McDaniel, was turned down in her efforts to become a permanent member of the force solely because she was a woman. Responding to a story which appeared earlier this week in the Daily Journal that intimated Mrs. McDaniel may have been voted down because of her sex, two fire department officials said Friday that there were other more important reasons behind the 11-6 vote. “I was one of those who stood up a year ago and urged other firefighters to give her (Mrs. McDaniel) a chance,” Second Captain and Training Officer Dale Bancroft noted. “I think that maybe one or two, or even three of the votes against her were because she was a woman, however, the real reasons for the vote were for other things than sex,” he stated. “Firefighting is the most hazardous occupation there is. It’s more dangerous than construction work more risky than police work, and here we are doing it as a hobby, and then it becomes more critical,” he added in explaining the need for criteria necessary to become a firefighter. Bancroft said that Mrs. McDaniel couldn’t handle some firefighting tasks due to physical limitations. “We are a small department which requires all of our firefighters to be able to handle a emergency task which confronts them. She couldn’t do some of the heavier work. “We’ve never turned anyone down because of their physical size, but there’s a lot of work with heavy hoses and it takes strength in some cases,” he said. While admitting that Mrs. McDaniel was the first probationary firefighter to be turned down, First Captain Robert Young explained that there were personal reasons which also figured in the vote. He said that personality differences may have also figured in the vote.

         Young disagreed with Mrs. McDaniel’s claim that there were a limited number of firefighters available during the day. “We generally have six to eight firefighters and sometimes as many as 20 firefighters who can get to a fire or accident scene when the call comes in, during the day, and there are more at night,” he said. I think that if our response time were compared with any department, an inspection would show that we’re just as good-probably better,” he stated in further refuting any inadequacy of coverage. “If a woman wants to join the fire department, and she can do all the work, fine, Bancroft concluded.  (Reprinted with permission of the Daily Journal)
 
   

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