GREENSBORO — GREENSBORO, NC (WFMY) - Men's room or women's room? At some Greensboro fire stations – that’s not a choice and it creates a time-consuming inconvenience for everyone.
Greensboro Fire Station 4 is the busiest in the city with an average of 10 calls per day. It keeps firefighters like Emily Specht busy.
"I'm learning every day. There's always something new and that's what I love about the job is it's always something different, it's never the same," she said.
But one thing is the same: the shared male and female locker room. Specht is the only woman at Station 4. When she uses the restroom, no one else can. She says the guys respect her privacy and they've worked out a system, but it's still a hassle.
“I'll put my towel and all my clothes in the shower with me just to limit that risk of someone accidentally walking in," she told us.
Station 4 is one of only four stations left out of 25 total that doesn't have female accommodations. It was built back in 1961. 31 women work as firefighters with GFD. Assistant Chief Dwayne Church says it's now the department's priority to make every firehouse accommodating for every firefighter.
"You talk to every female in the Greensboro fire department and they want to be part of that unit and part of that team,” Church said. “But they do want that private time and that's understandable."
Soon, Specht will have her own private restroom at Station 4. It’s under construction and due to be finished June 15. She says the construction is a sign that she's welcomed and valued and the Greensboro Fire Department is investing in future female firefighters.
"It's like, ‘Hey we're here, we're opening our arms up to you guys. We want you to be here with us. We want you to work with us,’" she said.
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