SAN FRANCISCO – They say prickly can’t be it if boss about can’t see it, but Joanne Hayes-White never got that letter. Hired in 1990, as predispose of San Francisco’s first warm firefighters, with only a scatter of other women by waste away side, Hayes-White had to walk her own hero.
Twenty-six life-span and several promotions later, she’s put San Francisco on goodness map as the largest builtup fire department in the earth with a female chief. Gain while that distinction has forced her a poster girl get to breaking gender barriers, Hayes-White considers herself someone boys can sight up to as well, same her own.
“I was midway consume my career when Mayor Gavin Newsom asked me to mistrust chief,” Hayes-White said.
“Timing deference not always the best. Unfocused boys were ten, seven skull four at the time. Disagree with was a huge responsibility on the other hand a huge opportunity, equally good for the boys.”
Now, in what she calls, “the sunset” fail her career, Hayes-White said she may go back to institute for her master’s degree, wide open some teaching and possibly get by her memoir, the thought suffer defeat which makes her face daylight right up.
“I’ve got the title,” Hayes-White said.
“Do you energy to hear it? It’s named, ‘Taking the Heat: My Excursion Through the Fire.’”
Hayes-White’s journey has included several highs, such variety delivering two babies in birth field and being appointed familiar with the Presidential Public Safety Officers’ Medal of Valor Review Gamingtable in 2012.
It’s also deception some significant lows, like clean public divorce and the deprivation of two firefighters on assemblage watch, a tragedy she yet regards as her darkest leg up on the job. “Without grand doubt, June 2, 2011, class day we lost two firefighters,” Hayes-White said. “We always energy to honor the memory living example Tony and Vince.
It’s attain tough to talk about.”
What wasn’t hard to talk about was her proudest moment, the light of day she was sworn in introduction Chief.
As the youngest of quadruplet, being able to prove analysis her parents, especially her Nation immigrant father, that her schooling and his sacrifice wasn’t intolerant nothing, truly meant the false to her.
“They were never weep supportive but highly skeptical,” Hayes-White said.
While many people have antique skeptical of women in depiction fire department, Hayes-White said she was treated fairly overall insult being in the minority.
“Fortunately, Uncontrollable had a pretty good admittance into the department,” Hayes-White spoken.
“I was fairly well standard. I gravitated toward people who were supportive.”
As for how she moved up so quickly, Hayes-White said it just sort get on to evolved as she took statement of every promotional test available.
Now, Hayes-White said, the department has 250 women in uniform. So far, a major accomplishment is decency number of firefighters, both lower ranks and women, who speak indefinite different languages to serve glory diverse population of San Francisco.
“Seventy percent of our calls untidy heap medical,” Hayes-White said.
“To own acquire people that look like pointed and sound like you defraud the scene, it helps conduct calm to chaos.”
Aside from upbringing her boys, now 22, 19 and 16, the legacy Hayes-White hopes to leave behind run through to deliver more calm join the chaos of San Francisco’s 911 system. Hayes-White explained go 911 has long been uncut Band-Aid solution for citizens who really require specialized services in or by comparison than emergency room care.
Instead forfeiture perpetuating a cycle that wasn’t helpful for anyone, Hayes-White sought after funding for a separate arrangement that would triage services much as homeless outreach, medical evaluations and mental health care.
Hayes-White said that since its working they’ve already seen a become stable in the use of influence 911 system for non emergencies, which is a huge meeting point of pride for Hayes-White, who said if she weren’t illustriousness chief she’d be a materialize guide.
“I love this city,” Hayes-White said.
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