Clare
Forum Asst. Chief
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Before we begin, in case you haven't figured, Clare is a girls name 
The Order of St John first allowed female Ambulance Officers in 1982 and if my research is correct the first female Advanced Care Officer (Paramedic) or what is now called Intensive Care Paramedic was 1989.
It greatly intrigues me, and irks me just a little, that in the three decades since then that the general public have not accepted females as being just as capable as a male Officer. On watch by-and-large the guys are outnumbered by girls yet there is no difference except which bits are down below. Female Ambulance Officers are just as capable of lifting, carrying, assessing, treating, transporting and doing all the other bits and pieces that male counterparts are yet somehow seen as lesser by the public?
Often times when two females turn up there is a silent look, even if it is fleeting, or some comment (particularly by older people) or just I don't know how to describe it, something, that says they are somehow surprised that two girls are paired together. I mean why not? there are females soldiers, firefighters, politicians, two of our Prime Ministers have been female (the current Australian PM and I believe the German Chancellor are both female), so what gives? Nobody says anything about female police officers or accountants or lawyers or Prime Ministers or whatever ...
I have been to road crashes, heart attacks, asthma, burns, diabetes, generally sick people, people who are critically unwell and those who are not, had to talk to rape victims and seen dead bodies, including people who have taken their own life, and I think I handle it pretty well. Yes, I've gone out the back and cried over people, in particular people who had died as a result of road crash or suicide and people who have been raped but I have seen others (both male and female) do the same. I am certainly not one of these deluded, cotton wool and puppy dogs fairy tale princess types who believes all is right with the world and that one day some amazing person is going to come scoop me up and we are going to live happily ever after sorts and yes, I think compared to some, particular to other males, I am a bit more caring and empathetic or motherly and I suppose that is more inherent of females but doesn't mean girls are soft-pants who can't do the job.
I'd really like to know if others get the same or if its just me? It is not an all day everyday thing but on the road there are times when it does occur and I can't put my finger on exactly why, so perhaps we can Clare-ify the issue
I should also say that I am talking about the public at large and not the ambulance service itself; the ambulance service is fantastic and very supportive of all its staff regardless of anatomy, there are females in such positions as Duty Operations Manager, Operations Team Manager, District Operations Manager and quite a few of the Clinical Development Team are female.
The Order of St John first allowed female Ambulance Officers in 1982 and if my research is correct the first female Advanced Care Officer (Paramedic) or what is now called Intensive Care Paramedic was 1989.
It greatly intrigues me, and irks me just a little, that in the three decades since then that the general public have not accepted females as being just as capable as a male Officer. On watch by-and-large the guys are outnumbered by girls yet there is no difference except which bits are down below. Female Ambulance Officers are just as capable of lifting, carrying, assessing, treating, transporting and doing all the other bits and pieces that male counterparts are yet somehow seen as lesser by the public?
Often times when two females turn up there is a silent look, even if it is fleeting, or some comment (particularly by older people) or just I don't know how to describe it, something, that says they are somehow surprised that two girls are paired together. I mean why not? there are females soldiers, firefighters, politicians, two of our Prime Ministers have been female (the current Australian PM and I believe the German Chancellor are both female), so what gives? Nobody says anything about female police officers or accountants or lawyers or Prime Ministers or whatever ...
I have been to road crashes, heart attacks, asthma, burns, diabetes, generally sick people, people who are critically unwell and those who are not, had to talk to rape victims and seen dead bodies, including people who have taken their own life, and I think I handle it pretty well. Yes, I've gone out the back and cried over people, in particular people who had died as a result of road crash or suicide and people who have been raped but I have seen others (both male and female) do the same. I am certainly not one of these deluded, cotton wool and puppy dogs fairy tale princess types who believes all is right with the world and that one day some amazing person is going to come scoop me up and we are going to live happily ever after sorts and yes, I think compared to some, particular to other males, I am a bit more caring and empathetic or motherly and I suppose that is more inherent of females but doesn't mean girls are soft-pants who can't do the job.
I'd really like to know if others get the same or if its just me? It is not an all day everyday thing but on the road there are times when it does occur and I can't put my finger on exactly why, so perhaps we can Clare-ify the issue
I should also say that I am talking about the public at large and not the ambulance service itself; the ambulance service is fantastic and very supportive of all its staff regardless of anatomy, there are females in such positions as Duty Operations Manager, Operations Team Manager, District Operations Manager and quite a few of the Clinical Development Team are female.
