Fanning the Flames

Watch yourself next time you talk about "firemen." Just like how we've carefully replaced "stewardess" with "flight attendant" and "postman" with "mail carrier," the female firefighter is still attempting to rise from obscurity, ignorance and repudiation. The first known female firefighter was Molly Williams of New York in 1818. It's been a long time since, but things haven't exactly gotten easier for women in the male-dominated field. Though maybe things are starting to change for the better: At this Saturday's Southern California Firefighter Recruitment Fair, sponsored by the California Commission to Recruit Women for the Fire Service, you'll be able to meet courageous firewomen and female department recruiters and learn about a career in the service. Help add "firefighter" to the PC-tionary-sending "firemen" wherever it is that "policemen" and "chairmen" went.
Sat., April 12, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., 2008