What it's like for L.A.'s female firefighters
Less than 4% of L.A.'s firefighters are women. Many say their ranks are so small because of a hostile, sexist culture pervading the city's Fire Department.
Headlines From The Times · Dakota Smith, Stacy Taylor, Shani Hilton, Shannon Lin, Gustavo Arellano, Denise Guerra, Lauren Raab, Mario Diaz, Melissa Kaplan
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Show Notes
Less than 4% of Los Angeles’ firefighters are women — a number that, despite the mayor’s goals, has inched up only slightly in recent years. Many of the female firefighters say their ranks are so small because of a hostile, sexist culture pervading the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Today, we talk about what women in the LAFD have been dealing with, including trash in their lockers, feces on bathroom floors and nasty remarks from co-workers they need to trust with their lives. We talk to L.A. Times City Hall reporter Dakota Smith, who has covered this hazing culture, and we also hear from Stacy Taylor, a retired battalion chief who pushed for better treatment during her 26 years in the department.
More reading:
Women say they endure ‘frat house’ culture at L.A. Fire Department. ‘The worst of my life’
Female firefighters, civil rights advocates call for LAFD chief’s removal