FIREPERSON SAM
Chief forced to apologise for using the word ‘man’
A FIRE chief has apologised for using the word “fireman” at a council meeting.
Jamie Courtney was rapped by a member of the public who moaned he used gender specific language when discussing staffing levels.
But one person wrote on an online forum: “I suppose Fireman Sam is now redundant.”
The complainant said Mr Courtney used the words “man” and “he” four times each when describing the importance of five-strong fire crews in South Yorkshire. The anonymous moaner said: “I felt his language was minimising the role of women in the service.
“There aren’t many women firefighters and it’s important not to just see firefighters as men.”
They found it particularly offensive following International Women’s Day and the recent release of a fire service video highlighting female firefighters’ roles. Though South Yorkshire has only 42 female firefighters out of 672, the brigade’s third-in-command is 50-year-old mum-of-one Alex Johnson.
Fire service clerk Diana Terris said Mr Courtney was “grateful for this to have been highlighted and apologises unreservedly”.
She said he “would have done so without question at the time had it been pointed out, adding: “He is a great advocate of equality and diversity within the service.”
Mr Courtney declined to comment. But members of the public took to the internet to support him.
Some insisted he had nothing to say sorry for.
Another said: “How ridiculous. Should we now stop referring to ships as she or stop telling children about the man in the moon?”
One added: “We still refer to policemen and ambulancemen.” A third said: “It’s madness.” “He shouldn’t have apologised – he’s just caving in to the snowflakes,” wrote another.
The Star Says: Page 6