Firefighter Sam? Sparks fly at call to change hero’s name
A FIRE chief provoked “PC gone mad” outrage yesterday after backing calls to rename cartoon character Fireman Sam “Firefighter Sam”.
Ann Millington, chief executive of Kent Fire and Rescue Service, believes the name change could lead to more women joining the service. But her comments were criticised as political correctness.
Former Home Office minister and Daily Express columnist Ann Widdecombe said: “Will he suddenly become transgender too? Firefighter Samantha? Postperson Pat?”
Ms Millington told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “It’s down to really entrenched views about what the job is about and also a long, long, long history as being male.
“The same way you say nurse: female, people say firefighter: male. That’s been going on for a long time.”
When presenter Ranvir Singh asked if she would rename Fireman Sam, who first appeared on TV in 1987, Ms Millington said: “We would – and when Love Island’s on next year it’d be fabulous to see women carrying some men across the piece as well.
“In reality, when you’re in a fire you almost don’t care who comes. What we care about is we’re missing 50 per cent of the talent that we could recruit.”
Vanessa Streete tweeted: “It’s Fireman Sam, it’s nuts to suggest changing it. Adults don’t pick jobs over a cartoon.” Twitter user Kim added: “Cartoon character is male therefore he is fireman Sam and has been for years. This is just PC gone mad.”
Vicki Ingham said: “Unless I am mistaken, when my son used to watch it all those years ago, wasn’t there a woman firefighter as well, Penny Morris, who seemed to do just the same job as the men?”
London Fire Brigade commissioner Dany Cotton backs using “firefighter”. She said: “One single thing that would help bring more women into the service? Stop saying fireman. Why did they have to go for Fireman Sam? What’s wrong with Firefighter Sam?”
Officials say 95 per cent of firefighters are white men and a West Midlands service survey last year revealed 36 per cent of women candidates quit before the physical assessment.
Police and Fire Minister Nick Hurd also backed the diversity calls. He said: “It’s time for the workforce to fully reflect the public it serves.”