A firefighter who is fighting a department policy that he said would force him to cut off his ponytail took his case directly to City Council, claiming gender discrimination.
Timothy Gay, an Elmira Street resident and one of the few members of the department who actually lives and pays taxes in the city, said the policy was directed at him, as he is the only male member of the department with long hair.
“This was directed at me. Female firefighters can wear their hair long,” Gay said.
He noted that his hair was not a problem at the Cape May County Fire Academy, when he saved a man’s life during the Merion Inn fire several years ago, or when he recently responded to a severe spinal cord injury at the Beach Club of Cape May.
Gay said federal fire safety regulations do not regulate hair length. They address only facial hair and sideburns, because they can compromise the seal on the face masks of airpacks. The head itself is covered by a fire-resistant hood and a helmet.