Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / April 7, 1983, edition 1 / Page 12
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A Look At Women In Unusual Occupations By Karen Parker Post SUB Writer Take a look in the latest "Occupational Outlook Handbook” and you’ll dis cover descriptions of thou sands of jobs within Ame rican industry. Some are clerical, re quiring good typing and stenographic skills. How ever, many are more strenuous muscle building jobs like firefighting, truckloading and heavy construction work. Sounds like a job for Superman, right? Not necessarily. There are more and more Superwomen today who are accepting jobs that even in 1983 cause, people to take a second look. Becky Brown is ac customed to the stares and pointing fingers as she stands alert on a fire truck from Station Four enroute to an emergency. She be gan her career as a fire fighter in September, 1980. She was the first woman in Charlotte to accept the challenge. Since then five other women belong to one of the 24 stations in Char lotte. “I never thought I had a chance to become a fire fighter when I used to talk to a relative about his job as one,” Becky pointed out. “He often encouraged me to give it a try. Then one day my mother was look ing through the ads in the newspaper and saw where the fire department was seeking a firefighter. Mom was joking about me apply ing for the job; however, I decided being a firefighter was something I really wanted to do.” Becky visited the fire department personnel of fice and soon thereafter was taking the physical and written examinations. Hereyesight was accurate; her heart rate was steady. She was a healthy indivi dual. But could she pass the palms-away pushups, the situps, and the 1.5-mile run one after the other without collapsing? “I had pre pared myself for the worse, in case I did not perform well,” Becky admitted. Actually, she performed superbly and at that mo ment realized she ‘‘had set herself back unnecessarily. After that I just took one day at a time,” she added. Becky was sent out on her first alarm before she had even completed train ing. She recalled battling a Warehouse fire all night just one month after she began training for her career. Knowing how to apply water to an uncon trolled blaze is not enough when you’re a firefighter. Becky explained she some times feels like a chemist Partners Continued from Page 10 ed of them, effective ways to give help, and the many ways Partners will support them in their challenge,” noted Hoey. Both Partners do Indeed face a challenge. Hoey is the first to admit that the “relationship isn’t all fun and games.” Sometimes the youth will be troubled and will expect the Senior Partner to share in the frustration. However, he quickly added, “There are many joys about this pro gram.” He was particular ly referring to the fact that a Senior Partner can help a youth establish a produc tive life. All volunteers for Part ners do not have to be assigned to a Junior Part ner. Volunteers are needed for administrative assist ance and for organizing recreational and educa tional programs. Since Partners is a private non profit agency it is always grateful for Contributing Partners. These are com panies and individuals in the community who make financial contributions to the program. Senior Partners will al ways have the assistance of counselors who are staffed with the Partners pro gram. Statistics provided by Hoey indicate the Part ners program in other areas has reduced repeat offenses among youth, 25-35 percent. It had also increased school attend ance. The program serve young people between the ages of 10-15. The Part ners office Is located at 700 East Trade St. in room 200. To make inquiries, people should contact William Hoey at 332-3407 or a medic as well. Know ledge in all those areas are important she noted. Emergencies allowed no time for Becky to wonder or worry about how the hundreds of male firefight ers felt about her breaking way onto their turf. But during the quiet times at the station there was time for Becky to make such observations. "A few of the men were stand-offish; but most of them just saw me as an other on their crew and helped me as they helped each other, Becky proudly spoke. “We’ve always been like a family.” Even when another sta tion was short of workers and Becky had to fill in, she didn’t run into many men who felt she had over stepped a woman's career objectives. It’s not being the first woman to achieve the title of firefighter in Charlotte that makes Becky appre ciate her job. “I spent one year at North Carolina State and it wasn’t such a good one. However, being a firefighter is a challenge to me,” Becky expressed. She’s relieved she has discovered professional talents. “I really enjoy my job. There is never a boring moment and I always expect the unexpected,” Becky presented. She has no intentions of stopping at her position as a firefighter. Presently she is working on a degree in fire science at Central Piedmont Community Col lege to enhance her know ledge and her career goals. While Becky is in com bat with Charlotte fires, Debbie Martin is under ground splicing cables. She is a cable splicing techni cian for Southern Bell. The 29-year-old weighing in at 100 pounds, stated she often wonders, “What’s a nice girl like me doing in a place like this - climbing around in muddy pits and breaking fingernails? “I answer that with, you’re in a decision making, good paying job.” Debbie wouldn’t trade either for anything. Every workday she goea to a different site in Charlotte, crawls underground and begins to splice phone cables. Then she must con nect them to the main cable which stretches to the cen tral office. One wrong move or one incorrect splicing procedure, and Debbie is responsible for someone’s telephone ser vice being disrupted. "I must be careful, because in this field the customer comes first,” Dfebbie in sisted. There’s no accept able excuse for displeasing a customer. Before Debbie can even begin to splice cable, which she has been doing for two years, she must be capable of reading the blueprints. “The blue prints are coded to show every cable in the area where I’m working,” in formed Debbie. “I must understand my instruc- { tions and the codes to per- , form my job correctly.” Debbie and one other wo man are the only women thus far to have jobs as telephone cable splicing technicians in Charlotte. As far as Becky is con cerned, "It’s equal oppor tunity all the way now. I encourage women to look at all jobs; no matter what it is, if you want to do it then go ahead. IT’S THE SANE OLD STORY WE JUST HAVE THE LOWEST PRICES ^ A ' < i _ a t * • 931 WENDOVER RD. , • 750 TYVOLA RD. • 5420 N. TRYON STORE HOURS: MON.-TUES.-WED. 10 AM-7 PM THURS. FRI. 10 AM-I PM SATURDAY 0:30 AM-7 PM OPEN SUNDAYS 1 TO 6 W0 Accept Personal Checks, Payroll Checks, Social Security Checks, Food Stamps and Manufacturer’s Coupons O WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO LIMIT QUANTITIES
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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April 7, 1983, edition 1
12
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