During shifts, the fire station becomes a home away from home for firefighters of O.H. Booth Hose Engine Company 2 – a place where they eat, sleep and live together while they are on-duty. In such close quarters, one female firefighter wants to ensure she can maintain some semblance of privacy as the squad relocates into the Public Safety Building.
The City of Poughkeepsie heralded the opening of the new facility in September. But before Engine Company No. 2 firefighters move from their historic station on Main Street to join the police officers who have already relocated into the Public Safety Building, they are waiting for the city to rectify conditions for their female colleague.
With its gleaming white hallways and shiny new equipment, the Public Safety Building lacks just one thing – adequate privacy for Maureen Graham, the unit’s only female firefighter. Bunk rooms consist of open cubicles with partitions that run seven or eight feet high. According to Richard Flanagan, vice president of the Poughkeepsie Professional Firefighters Association Local 596, Graham felt a swinging door that did not stretch down to the floor failed to provide adequate privacy for her sleeping quarters. Graham did not return a call to the station seeking comment.
After a second door also failed to pass muster, the city will now create a separate space for Graham and any future female additions to the unit.
A shared locker room poses another problem. While she has her own bathroom and shower, Graham’s locker is located alongside the men’s. Lockers are essential to the firefighters as a place to store clothing and personal belongings. “She’s requesting a regular locker” outside the common locker room, said Flanagan.
Although the modifications are delaying the firefighters’ move-in date, Flanagan said the union supports her 100 percent. “Unfortunately this has focused on one individual (Graham),” said Flanagan. “She’s not doing this for herself. She’s just looking out for any other females that get hired. Somewhere along the way provisions have to be made.”
Another city firefighter who wished to remain anonymous said, “In 2007, it’s not appropriate that a female firefighter has to use the same locker room as a male firefighter.”
Limited input
Flanagan says the union sees the oversight as symptomatic of a larger issue – firefighters were not allowed to give input on the building’s design. “We weren’t allowed to have any discussions with the contractors,” he said. City officials and the design team were made aware that there was a female squad member, according to Flanagan, but “somewhere along the way that fell through the cracks and wasn’t taken care of.”
Fire chief Kenneth Boyd said he could not comment on the building’s design or the firefighters’ involvement in the process because those issues relate to a personnel matter. Similarly, city attorney Stephen Wing said the city does not comment on internal personnel concerns.
However, city administrator James Marquette said the alterations to the construction were the primary reason the fire squad has not yet relocated. “We’re in the process of trying to rectify the situation on the interior. …We want it to be satisfactory before people have to move in.”
Marquette downplayed the privacy issue. “I don’t view it as a significant item,” he said. “It’s major to the people involved, but if you look at the project overall, it’s really not. You’ve still got a really great project – I hope everyone agrees.”
Flanagan said a “couple of flaws” were to be expected with any new construction. “It’s a nice building. Everybody likes it and is looking forward to moving in there,” said Flanagan.