RANDOM REMINDER

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32460, 21 November 1970, Page 22

RANDOM REMINDER

SIRENS

Being fair - minded, generous, understanding, etc., we are all for equality of the sexes, but we must take exception to a recent article in this newspapbr suggesting that women might become firefighters. „ That is taking things very much too far. The introduction of ladies among those helmeted heroes would almost certainly be ruinous, and cause utter chaos. One of the most distressing side-'-effects would be in the newspaper offices. At the sound of a siren today, someone assigned to that particular task automatically makes inquiries; the days of racing on fleet feet after the horse - drawn fire - engine have gone. But if the .bri-

bade had a quota of young ladies—and they would have to be young, to cope with the work —there is little doubt that the newspaper offices, and some others, would empty in seconds. There are more dangers than that one. There would inevitably be a tendency for the women fire-fighters to powder their noses before sliding down the greasy pole—and to want to wash their hands afterwards. Little doubt, too, that the efficiency of the firemen would be impaired; there would be a tendency to take one’s mind off one’s work, and seek an opportunity to make a romantic rescue of a fire lady rather than the prospective victim. Uniforms would become

a problem; there would be style changes and if the maxis take on, that would certainly hamper the work of the fire brigade. The worst effect would probably be in the incidence of outbreaks of fire. We all know that hundreds of chaps deliberately overpark in the hope of having a little chat with the girls in green; there would very likely to be a temptation to nng the brigade, then start a small fire in a safe place, if there was a prospect of some handsome Amazon rushing in and flinging you across her back. . It’s a long time since women concentrated simply on keeping the homes fires burning; and we don’t really want them at the other ones.