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Policies

PURPOSE OF THIS SYNOPSIS
Each volunteer fire department and/or rescue squad has a Sexual Harassment Policy. This is an abbreviated and general statement provided with the membership application package. You are asked to read, sign and return this statement to the Recruitment and Retention Specialist with your membership application. A more detailed policy statement is available at the fire department or rescue squad of which you are requesting membership.

POLICY SYNOPSIS
The term "Sexual Harassment' means the unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:

(a) submission of such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual's volunteer service or membership;

(b) submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for volunteer service or membership decisions affecting such individual; or

(c) such conduct has the purpose or the effect of substantially interfering with an individual's performance, membership or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment.

The fire stations and rescue squads regard sexual harassment of any volunteer as a very serious matter and prohibit it in the volunteer service by any person and in any form. A supervisor or officer or other volunteer shall not engage in sexual harassment of any other volunteer. It is everyone's responsibility to maintain an environment free from sexual harassment.

Volunteers who feel they have been subjected to discriminatory treatment or sexual harassment are encouraged to bring these problems immediately to the direct attention of their chief or to his/her designee and to follow the procedures stated in the fire station or rescue squad policy. All such complaints and any internal investigation resulting from the complaints will be held in the strictest confidence.

Any supervisor or officer or other volunteer who is found, after appropriate investigation, to have engaged in sexual harassment of another volunteer or who has filed a false complaint of sexual harassment, will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action as defined in the fire department or rescue squad policy.

There will be no discrimination or recrimination against any volunteer for making a report of sexual harassment.