Women wanted for police and fire jobs in Saskatoon

If you take a close look at the ranks of Saskatoon's police and fire departments, you'll quickly realize there are not many women.

That has two veteran emergency workers calling for action.

You can do it, you are strong enough.- Deb Davies 

"I think firefighting is the best job in the world," said firefighter Deb Davies.

Davies and police sergeant Tonya Gresty have stepped up to help lead a one-day showcase for women and girls who might be thinking about a career in emergency services.

The EXXPLORE Emergency Services showcase is set for May 12th at Saskatoon police headquarters. People are asked to register in advance.

Fewer women on the beat

Gresty said the number of women on the police force has fallen over the years and now sits at about 20 per cent. She said she is not sure why. She theorized that the nature of their work doesn't offer an opportunity for women and girls to approach them and ask what the job is like.

"The most frequent question I get is, 'How do I get out of my speeding ticket?' " Gretsy joked.

Jokes aside, she said a day for women and girls to come and ask questions may help them to imagine themselves in uniform, helping others.

Davies didn't have that opportunity, but her father was a firefighter. He's the one who helped her to see it as a career option.

She said at first she thought, "Girls can't be firefighters."

Davies said that much has changed since then, but on her job just three per cent of front-line firefighters are women, which means something isn't right.

"We are champions," she said of her female colleagues. "We want to celebrate that fact and we want to invite other girls to consider this."

Breaking the glass ceiling

One of the questions for women (as it is for men) is whether they can cope with the physical demands of being a police offer or firefighters.

"Girls sometimes think okay that's too heavy I can't carry that…pick up these tools we use," said Davies. "You can do it, you are strong enough. You might be surprised."

Some of the equipment will be at the upcoming showcase for women to try out.

Getting a foot in the door is not the only hurdle for women. Gretsy said that while her male colleagues are "our biggest supporters and cheerleaders," there is a bit of a glass ceiling on the police force that she is working to break through.

"Right now out of the ranking top 35 members in our organization there are two female officers so we are not at that point where we are a critical voice in the leadership team," she said.