Her survey uncovered a toxic culture of sexual harassment within fire service. Here's what she found.

Quinn Clark, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
·3 min read

Western Lakes firefighter and paramedic Shelby Perket said she was sexually harassed by her deputy chief and, when she asked for help, her complaints weren't properly addressed. Inspired by her own experience, she conducted a survey that found that her experience isn't unusual.

Her research, completed during her time at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, won a first place award from the Wisconsin Sociological Association and is pending publication in the Journal of Student Research.

Through a Qualtrics survey of 306 nationwide fire service employees (211 men and 87 women), Perket found:

Among fire service workers, harassment is common, research shows

Harassment was a common experience and rarely handled correctly, the survey showed.

  • 54% of female participants felt comfortable reporting incidents of harassment to their employers compared to 89% of males.

  • 46% of female participants reported harassment in the past, and 20% felt it was handled appropriately.

  • 80% of male participants and 87% of female participants have witnessed or experienced verbal harassment from a colleague.

  • 55% of female participants have been or know of someone who has been inappropriately touched by a coworker.

Survey participants could submit written responses. When it came to reporting sexual harassment, one participant said they were accused of "throwing a brother under the bus."

Another said the retaliation that came from an offender's termination made the work environment so uncomfortable that the victim quit.

Misogynistic comments submitted by participants included "women are only good in the kitchen or the bedroom," "constant" sexual jokes, and being called a "loud mouth" for reporting inappropriate behavior.

Female firefighters endure an inappropriate work environment, survey finds

Perket's survey also analyzed workplace culture and dynamics. Her survey found that women were more likely than men to:

  • Admit to hearing sexual jokes while at work

  • Witness comments/behaviors that make them or others uncomfortable

  • Think about resignation during their probationary periods (first 6 to 18 months of service)

  • Feel anxiety about returning to work based on how they were treated by coworkers

Women were less likely to believe there was a universal understanding of inappropriate vs. appropriate behavior, the survey found, and less likely to believe their workplace had a well-known sexual harassment policy.

"Certain supervisors openly participate in inappropriate commentary, or joke when concerns are brought forward," one survey participant said.

Hales Corners and Greendale fire departments have also recently dealt with harassment and discrimination allegations

In July 2022, a former Greendale Fire Department firefighter filed a lawsuit against the department, claiming she was wrongfully terminated from her position. Her complaint cites a culture of sexual harassment and discrimination, including a coworker openly watching pornography and "loudly expressing opinions" on women's bodies. Her case is pending.

In 2019, former Hales Corners fire captain John P. Wagner resigned after being accused of abandoning his post and sexually harassing a coworker by asking her about her sex life while on the job.

Perket didn't know how prevalent the issue was until she began publishing articles on her own website and writing for Fire Rescue 1, an online firefighter publication. At first, she was scared to even put her name on her pieces in fear that she'd never get another job in fire service again.

"I’m happy I did because there were so many people that have reached out to me since publishing ... that have gone through similar things," Perket said. "Many of them were local, and I feel like it’s starting to get talked about more."

More:She accused her deputy chief of sexual harassment. Nothing changed. Now, she's telling her story.

Quinn Clark can be emailed at QClark@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @Quinn_A_Clark.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Sexual harassment common in fire departments, local research shows