Scandal-plagued San Jose Fire Department takes heat over lack of women in the ranks

We Investigate: More than three years after a civil grand jury blasted the San Jose Fire Department for the lack of women wearing the uniform, advocates pushing for better representation in the fire service say the agency has failed to make meaningful progress. Hilda Gutierrez reports.
#SanJose
Stay connected:
Follow us on Twitter: / nbcbayarea
Like us on Facebook: / nbcbayarea
Follow us on Instagram: / nbcbayarea
Follow us on TikTok: / nbcbayarea
Catch up on all the day's news:
www.nbcbayarea.com
Download our mobile app:
On iOS: nbcbay.com/R1BhqYM
On Android: nbcbay.com/rUcA97h
Watch us on OTT:
Add our channel on Roku: bit.ly/3ySK60j
Download our app on Amazon Fire TV: amzn.to/3FmmiEA

[@ev8n718]

My grandmother was a police officer in San Jose during the 70-80s and she’s black. I bet she went through way worse then these women

[@1209Misty]

I’m gonna be honest, it’s not to say that a woman couldn’t do the job. Physically most women are not as strong as men. 🤯

[@nikolai6489]

Yes they are racist

[@TyTyMcGinty]

Realistically, how many women want that job? Out of that number how many of them can run a mile with 200 lbs of gear on? Not against women firefighters but the physicality required skews toward men.

[@Idontcare-g1n]

If they cant pass the training they shouldn't be on the job

[@Enigma96969]

It’s a man’s job… cause it’s physically hard… duh

[@Thomas23-tu8gj]

The story isn't as simple as NBC Bay Area portrays it. Finding qualified female applicants can be a challenge.

[@WilliamDurham-c3z]

Fraternity

[@jacobjohnston7945]

I'm 6'1 290 pounds.id love to see a woman fire fighter carry me up or down stairs with all the gear on during a fire

[@hyphydan]

They will hire a few Woman to pick up Hazmat, and pay them $200,000 plus a free apartment in San Jose so they don't have to commute from Tracy

[@dmontalvo1983]

Just because a woman can do the job, it doesn't mean she should. Hence the issues women suffer throughout the fire department.

[@giftedgreen2152]

I can’t wait until AI replaces lady jobs.

[@tweezers6014]

Chief Tapia!!! I was in her class her first year teaching at SVCTE!! I highly recommend joining the Fire Science/First Responder course if you’re at least a little bit interested in the Fire or EMS field.

[@viethuynh6808]

SJFD is an embarrassment to the citizens of San Jose.

[@WilliamDurham-c3z]

Sad fact.

[@WilliamDurham-c3z]

Almost one hundred percent employees experience this every day yet usually its a stranger or passer by. Sorry.

[@Al-xb9fo]

The reporter keeps saying woman when referring to multiple women….. 😂

[@jackiemota4651]

Why not shine light on the many brave men and women that risk their lives in this department!!!??? I don’t want to down play the trauma of these women, but this seems like poor timing to me!!! I personally know an amazing firefighter that has 6 children who stays away from his family for 6 days at a time with lack of sleep and works his butt off, loyally serving the city he works for!!! There are evil people in ALLLLL areas, schools, hospitals, BROADCASTING that use their power to take advantage of people so let’s not forget that!!! Firefighters for the most part are hardworking men and women who sacrifice their lives day in and day out to Serve their community and family!!!! The firefighter I know saved the life of a baby who drowned and was dead at the start of the call!!! Today that baby has life because of that man!!!!! A few bad apples does NOT define the AMAZING MEN AND WOMEN who work for SJFD!!! Shame on you NBC, it’s always only about the scandals!!

[@WilliamDurham-c3z]

Usually the men alone get fired and the woman make similar claims to keep jobs. Even upon consentail sexual interciurese multiple times.

[@MollikaHatun]

Williams Jennifer Wilson George Davis Jose

[@Dee-ye2dk]

It’s a man’s job what do you expect? Fireman are expected to carry 200lbs of gear. We haven’t spoken about carrying a fellow fireman or citizen out of a building. Be serious for once!

[@BryanTyrone-l5c]

Martin Elizabeth Thompson George Gonzalez Shirley

[@WilliamDurham-c3z]

Civil Service and select service etc are geneder segregated. Traditional and orthodox.

[@WilliamDurham-c3z]

Fraternal order

[@EndriDushkue]

Moore Karen Lewis Kevin Moore Ruth

[@pooptacoyum]

If my house is burning and I'm incapacitated and unable to get out I want a fire fighter who can get me out. That may mean I need to be picked up and thrown over a shoulder in order to get to safety.... if you have to hire a candidate just because they have a vagina then we are all in real danger. If the female hired can perform all the necessary tasks to do their job then go ahead and hire her....and I do mean everything at the level of excellence a firefighter should be able to do. If this job needs to be performed by a man then get over it. I am a woman and I understand that a job needs to be filled by qualified person.... not based on their sex to meet some kind of quota. This is dangerous to the public....The news reports should admit that a person died in a fire because the female firefighter couldn't get the victim out of their house to safety because they couldn't get them out because they weren't strong enough to lift or even drag the person out.

[@jacobjohnston7945]

I'm 290 6'1 i.wouldnt trust a woman for something like that I'm almost 300 pounds.

[@Dr_KW]

Ill-fitting PPE for firefighters is wild. How can you do your job like that? Seems like they're just a huge joke.

[@WilliamDurham-c3z]

Some firefighters jobs or city county state jobs are like welfare institutions jobs where they just dlsit around and few people have actual work duties everyday. Me too. The sex between genders coemployees is not olny frowwn upon but treated as sex illeness etc and even if off tour hours off base off job site etc.. Traditional and orthodox relationship that become intimate usually accept only cristian or muslim or whatever marrige or civil marriage etc.

[@JahanaraImam-w5w]

Lewis Karen Robinson George Jackson Kevin

[@uamssamu5635]

They just want the prestige and pay without actually doing the hard work. Or they’re bull d1ke5

[@sshmuckatelli]

Allegedly

[@TurboCarlos]

California news folks 😂😂😂😂

[@Jnthncrrll]

OH YOU SHUT UP, CARLOS THE TRUMPSTER FREAK AND THAT IS SO NOT FUNNY!!!!!

[@seaneendelong8065]

Yeah no, this is a hit piece. Not only am I a woman, I raide two daughters in SJ to be anything the worked hard to be AND COULD DO. Not anything, but what was realistic physically and in their skillset. I could no more be an even ok firefighter than teach advanced physics, nor could I become an architect Why? I do not have the physical strength or endurance to save property and lives even at peak, I do not have the near brilliance of mathematical understanding needed even if I am a great tutor, and I was not willing to sacrifice 7 yo 10 years of my childrens' growing up while I focused on a dream career education. This entire new piece is mixing subjects, implied smear of all, denigration on allegation, then the utter bullshit STILL PUSHED in modern society that us poor little abused and oppressed womenfolk cant get a fair shot and menz treat us bad. BULLSHIT.