Fireman is 'exclusionary and sexist' term that should be permanently erased, says chief fire officer
24 February 2023, 09:30 | Updated: 24 February 2023, 10:05
The term 'fireman' has been branded an exclusionary and sexist term that should be "erased from our vocabulary", according to Greater Manchester's chief fire officer.
Chief fire officer Dave Russel has said both 'fireman' and 'firemen' will no longer be tolerated as they represent a damaging "form of micro-aggression".
Mr Russel said the term 'firefighter' should be used instead so that language is more gender-neutral.
In an email sent by Mr Russel, the fire chief said the term "regularly slips into every day vocabulary", according to The Telegraph, and said use of the term goes "unnoticed and unchallenged".
"Its connotation is sexist, exclusionary, and represents a form of micro-aggression that is damaging to our culture," Mr Russel said.
“This needs to stop and the term permanently erased from our vocabulary. We employ firefighters, not 'firemen', and haven’t for decades, so why use the term?
“I am clear today that the use of this term will not be tolerated in GMFRS.”
He then told The Telegraph: “There is no reason for us to use language that minimises or overlooks the vital role anyone plays within our service.
“The importance of achieving the right culture and behaviour cannot be overstated.”
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Mr Russel's comments have been labelled "ridiculous" by critics, including Bolton councillor Andy Morgan.
“To outlaw the term fireman and to suggest disciplinary action for anyone that says it out of habit, without any malice, is completely inappropriate," he said.
"The fire service has a long and outstanding history and that includes the term ‘fireman’."
Other fire services across the country have taken similar the same stance in the past, including the London Fire Brigade, after former chief Dany Cotton slammed the term 'fireman'.
