San José Fire Department Statement Regarding Civil Grand Jury Report, “Why Aren’t There More Female Firefighters in Santa Clara County”
SAN JOSE, Calif.
(December 17, 2020) - San José Fire Department (SJFD) was recently included in
a Civil Grand Jury review of nine fire departments in Santa Clara County and
the status of female representation in each respective agency. Nationally,
females are underrepresented in the fire service, comprising just 8% of firefighters,
according to the National Fire Protection Association. SJFD has fallen behind
the national average, with females representing less than 3% of its
firefighters.
In their report,
“Why Aren’t There More Female Firefighter in Santa Clara County,” the Civil
Grand Jury highlights an issue important to SJFD. SJFD believes we’re able to
serve our constituents best when our workforce represents the community we
serve. We recognize we’re not meeting that mark in terms of female
representation among our sworn personnel and we must maintain and reinforce
current efforts to attract more female applicants.
SJFD has worked to
enhance recruitment efforts to attract applicants who reflect San José’s
diverse community both in gender and ethnic makeup. SJFD launched its first
Women’s Boot Camp in 2019, spearheaded by one of our female Firefighter
Paramedics. SJFD’s Women’s Boot Camp provides interested candidates a hands-on
experience of what it takes to be a firefighter.
Now an annual
event, the SJFD Women’s Boot Camp aims to inspire interested women to pursue a
fire service career. The event provides participants with the opportunity to
engage directly with female professional firefighters, experience hands-on
manipulative exercises, and hear information about the steps to becoming a
firefighter.
SJFD Women’s Boot
Camp attendees who may have never considered a career in the fire service learn
about the rewards of serving others, challenging oneself physically and
mentally, working in a team environment, building lifelong friendships, and
about opportunities for career advancement. It is our sincerest hope
participants leave the Women’s Boot Camp inspired – recognizing how rewarding a
career in the SJFD would be.
“San José Fire
Department will continue its efforts to recruit firefighters who reflect the
rich diversity evident in the San Jose community,” said Fire Chief Robert
Sapien, Jr. “I’m grateful for the hundreds of women and men of San José Fire
Department who have committed themselves to serving others. We can only be made
stronger by increasing the diversity of our workforce and embracing the
qualities each individual brings to this department.”
About the City of San José
With more than one
million residents, San José is one of the most diverse large cities in the
United States and is Northern California’s largest city and the 10th largest
city in the nation. San José’s transformation into a global innovation center
has resulted in one of the largest concentrations of technology companies and
expertise in the world. In 2011, the City adopted Envision San José 2040, a
long-term growth plan that sets forth a vision and a comprehensive road map to
guide the City’s anticipated growth through the year 2040.
About the San José Fire Department
The San José Fire
Department (SJFD) is a full-service, all-hazard metropolitan fire department
that provides service to and protects a population of over 1 million residents
within the approximately 280 square miles of the nation’s tenth largest city.
The protection area includes residential, commercial, high-rise, industrial,
seven major hospitals (including three trauma centers and seven emergency
departments, the SAP Center (home to the NHL’s San José Sharks), the
Earthquakes Stadium (home of the MSL’s San Jose Earthquakes), San José State
University, Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport, three
super-regional malls, the United State Patent and Trademark Office and
wildland-urban interface areas. Learn more about SJFD at www.sjfd.org.
City of San Jose
Erica Ray, Public Information Manager, San José Fire Department
December 17, 2020
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