By Eden Gillespie, ABC:
Men involved in ringing a bell when “attractive” female recruits walked by so everyone “could have a look” were never formally disciplined by the Queensland Fire Department (QFD) for their behaviour.
An ABC investigation has confirmed the incidents at the combined emergency services training academy in Whyte Island were substantiated by the QFD, then called Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES), in 2021.
Department sources have told the ABC that while one person was predominantly involved in the bell ringing, several bystanders laughed at or dismissed the behaviour until a complaint was made.
Those involved in the bell ringing were not formally sanctioned. Instead, they received a talking to from commissioner Stephen Smith, the chief HR officer of QFES at the time.
Department sources say that female recruits subjected to the behaviour were not directly informed or counselled about what occurred, and there was no broader messaging within the organisation at the time to call out or condemn the incident.
An ABC investigation has heard from more than a dozen people about allegations of a “macho hero” culture in QFD, where sexism and bullying complaints are swept under the rug.
They say a culture of fear and silence has made people anxious to lodge complaints out of concerns that doing so would impact their career progression or lead to reprisals.
Read the full story here.
