By Cindy J. Roth
But now, after eight and a half years with the North Bellmore Fire Department, Specht, 28, who was terminated from the department in July, is in a fight with her former firefighting company. Specht recently filed a discrimination charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against the NBFD, claiming she was sexually harassed on many occasions, treated unfairly because of her gender and held to a higher standard than male volunteers, which ultimately led to her dismissal.
So many women are going through the same thing Island-wide, said Specht. I just want to get the word out that this isn't right. I want the persona of the fire department to change so if my daughter wants to be a firefighter she can.
Specht claims she endured verbal and physical sexual harassment from fellow firefighters and top district officers. Over the years, Specht said she was the constant source of jokes in the department because of her sexual inexperience and heavy stature. She claims fellow firefighters contributed to a pool of money to induce another firefighter to have sex with her. She also says she was often called a host of derogatory names.
One year after a department Christmas party, Specht claims she was forcibly restrained in a NBFD van while a male volunteer fondled her breasts and others watched. When she reported the incident to department officials, they encouraged her to file a criminal charge against the offending firefighter. Specht choose not to.
She also says co-volunteers would steal her car keys and then demand that she expose her breasts to have them returned.
Beyond the alleged harassment, Specht claims she was held to a higher standard than male colleagues and was often barred from moving up the ranks by red tape.
In 1998, Specht was originally denied the opportunity to drive NBFD's engine 655 even though she had followed department regulations and had driven the ambulance for three years without an accident. By contrast, Specht asserts men in the department with unclean driving records and no experience driving any of the trucks were permitted to drive engine 655.
Last April when Specht returned to the department from maternity leave, she was told she no longer qualified to be an engine driver. She would need to retake the tests. Meanwhile, Specht's husband, Christopher Specht, who returned from sick leave of equal duration, was permitted to resume driving immediately.
Finally, fed up with the way she was being treated, Specht complained in writing to former chief, now commissioner, Richard Wallis, in November 2000. In February 2001, Specht met with Wallis and current department Chief Bob Bazareski and several other officers. Specht said she was adamant that she would no longer tolerate the discrimination and harassment. But, she says, it did not stop.
Last July, Specht was notified that she was terminated from the department for failing to meet the June percentage, the minimum number of calls a volunteer firefighter has to make in a month. Specht said it is often NBFD policy for firefighters to receive notification of falling short of percentage, and several months are usually given for members to improve their response rate to calls before termination, but this opportunity was not afforded to Specht.
In a transcript of a taped phone conversation between former department Chief Mark DeLuca and Specht, DeLuca states that General Municipal Law 209-L gives a chief the right to drop members that are not making their percentage for alarms or trainings. He also said that it is a courtesy that members who are failing to meet percentages are met with and possible remedies to the situation are discussed, but the courtesy is extended at his discretion, and in this case it was not afforded.
Bazareski said he could not comment about pending litigation and referred the Herald to the NBFD's attorney for comment. Attorney Jack Roesch said he too could not comment about litigation, but said the NBFD has never had any problems before with discrimination. The NBFD's written rebuttal to the discrimination charge states Specht's case is extremely vague and outdated, making it hard to specifically address the issues. Also the department claims the physical harassment allegations are inadmissable because the statue of limitations has expired.
Specht is not the only woman in the department to allege discrimination. Another former NBFD volunteer, who wished not to be identified, said she too was often verbally and physically taunted. The former volunteer said she heard comments about her breast size many times and had other male volunteers try to grope her, for which she pressed criminal charges. Beyond the abuse, the former volunteer said she was often given the menial job of cleaning the bathrooms in the firehouse when the job traditionally was given to probationary volunteers.
They've managed to get rid of every female, said the former NBFD emergency medical technician, 21, who volunteered with the department for a year and a half before resigning. It's sad because it's a volunteer organization, and I just wanted to help the community. It's really sad what goes on there.
Specht's husband, an ex-chief with the NBFD, said he often spoke with the male firefighters and asked them to curb their behavior, but to no avail.
It went in one ear and out the other, said Christopher, who is no longer active with the department. They pretty much did whatever they wanted.
Specht and the NBFD are now playing a waiting game. If the EEOC comes back with a probable cause determination of discrimination after weighing the evidence, Specht can take the matter to court, but she said she does not want the fire department's money.
I want change, she said. I want nothing more than to inform the public. It's a poor man's social club. It's not about saving lives, it's about hanging out. I'm trying not to be vindictive...I just want to be a firefighter.
Since her dismissal from the NBFD, Specht has joined the Wantagh-Levittown Ambulance Corps. There, she said, she is treated with respect.
