By Bill Cameron, WLS-AM News

(CHICAGO) Female paramedics have won a victory in the U.S. Court of Appeals over the physical test in their paramedic entrance exam, but in Chicago, City Hall is not giving up.

 A lot more men than women have been passing the physical performance test in the paramedics entrance exam. Women filed a sex discrimination suit and now have won in the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, but City Hall says it’s “disappointed and will continue to vigorously defend this suit.” 

 Some years ago after a racial discrimination suit against the fire department was settled, Mayor Rahm Emanuel talked about equal opportunity in the fire department.

 “The future is about people feeling they gotta a shot at becoming a fireman because we want the best quality in our fire dept.  That’s our goal as a city.”

 One complicating factor in the paramedics case is that the city cross-trains some of the force to be both paramedics and firefighters.

@ 2016 WLS-AM News