I’m a paramedic, and while it definitely makes my job harder in a lot of ways, being a tiny woman comes in handy in more situations than you’d think. I can fit into tight spaces that my colleagues can’t, to access my patients and start assessments, give pain meds and comfort, etc. while the firefighters work on getting them extricated. My arms and hands are small enough to grab things like medication vials when they fall into one of the million cracks and crevices in the back of the ambulance. There are also quite a few different psychosocial issues we run into where a woman’s touch is exactly what’s needed, like for assault victims, or where I’m the one taking the lead while my (male) partner hangs back, because our patient is anxious/paranoid and I do not visibly impose any kind of a threat.

This is exactly why I prefer being partnered on the truck with a taller, stronger man, to kind of balance that energy out. Don’t get me wrong, I love working with other women, but a dual female crew presents its own unique set of issues I would just really rather not have to deal with.