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Is Race Still a Factor in the Fire Service?
I just read on Stater911 about a FF in Austin TX who was fired for posting naked pics of himself online. He did this on his own time and was fire because it showed poorly against the Austin FD. I don't know if "size" was a factor. But in DC a FF was cooking naked in a firehouse, intoxicated off duty. Nothing has happened and his name has not be given out. Now the reason I bring this up is because 30 African-American FF filed a grievince agianst the DCFD for whites being less punished then blacks for the same instances.
In my time I've people come up and talk to me about issues in thier firehouse from being called nigger or hearing nigger/black jokes to be denied driving privliedges. Just recently I heard of a company that had one African-American and while at the company banquet members thought it would be funny to serve him and HIS WIFE, chicken and watermelon. They came to me because I attended the state and county meetings and spoke my mind. While a member of the Recruitment and Retention committee I tried to have them place our booth at the Hispanic and African-American Festivals besides the state fair. No luck. I asked if companies wanted me to contact loal black churches with them to try to get members no luck.
I don't paint everyone with the same brush. I've had some very good experiences in the fire serivce. I'm, always welcomes where ever I go whenever I say I'm a FF from Delaware. I've had more bad experiences with the public then the fire service but I know there are problems out there.
I ask, "does your company or department reflect your community. Comning from a predominately Black department I'm proud of the fact that we have more white members then whites in the community.
My question is - As you look at your department, does it reflect the community? If not have you approached people of color to get them to join, if so how, if not why. Do you think the members of color are treated fairly in your company or department?
And lastly, do you think there is still a racial issue in the fire service today?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on
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One of our biggest issues here with minority recruitment is that the requirements are that you are a paramedic and also a state certified FF II.
One of our biggest challenges facing the recruitment of minorities.....our standards are high. Wouldn't trade the standards and reducing them just to have the dept reflect the community. I personally think such a statement is the stupidest statement out there.
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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on
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Yes. I have to listen to the NASCAR fans recount the Sunday race every Monday morning at the weekly staff meeting.
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Permalink Reply by Joseph Giordano on
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Some people just don't think before they act or speak.
There is still a racial issue in America, period.
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Permalink Reply by lutan1 on
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members thought it would be funny to serve him and HIS WIFE, chicken and watermelon.
What's the issue with this? Is it race related in some way????
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Permalink Reply by Just Plain Craig Moyer on
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I understand what you guys are saying. I get on black people who use nigger. Your right alot of it has to do with class. I've been called an uppity nigger when I worked as a manager...or maybe because I was uppity...
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I used to work at the 9-1-1 center. We used to get suspicous person calls. Once got a call about a black man walking thro the nieghborhood. I asked what he was doing and the caller said nothing, but he's walking thru the nieghborhood. When pressed she said no black people live here and its suspicous. When told they changed the law so that its no longer illegal to be black in a white neighborhood she got mad and wanted to talk to my supervisor who told her the same thing. I got a call from a white lady of was freaking out. Her car broke down in a black area and she was terrorified. When the police got there 2 black men were helping her fix the car.
I never once got a call about a suspcouis white man. Or white girls in a store who the clerk thinks is trying to steal because they have big purses. I noticed that a group of white kids hanging out are kids hanging out. A group of black kids are a gang.
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I think the issue is not that they don't want to be FF's but many feel they can't be FF's at least who I talked too. We go to the local African American Parade because we want young kids to see black firefighters. We made sure to go out and talk to the kids. The career department sent an engine. The crew was all white. No a problem really. but kids see this as oh I can volunteer but I can't get paid. I'm sure there was a crew somewhere in the city with at least one black FF they could have sent. What do kids see on the apparatus when it pulls up?
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Condering that Chicken and Watermen weren;t on the menu. In American its a well known racial stereotype that blacks love chicken and watermelon...we we do but we also love spaghetti, hamburger and many other types of food. Would have been funnier if they bought them a big bowl of spaghetti...no.
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Permalink Reply by Brian Dumser on
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There is still a racial issue in America, but it's perpetuated by ignorance. I do think that as a country, we've made progress in leaps and bounds since the 50's and 60's, but as long as people can't get past the stupid stereotypes there will always be a racial problem. As I said before, we need to take race out of the equation. I get so pissed when I have to fill out a form that asks my race. What does it matter what color my skin is? On the flip side of that, people need to take responsibility for their actions and stop blaming it on race. I realize that at times there are legitimate race issues, but I think the "race card" is played far too often sometimes.
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Permalink Reply by George A. Laiacona III on
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We are not yet living in an enlightened society where gender, race, creed, religion, or political orientation are not factors. We're constantly bombarded by quotas and affirmative action, or cliques and groups pushing an agenda, or any number of other prejudices of which any one of us could point out a few examples.
Why? Largely because that's they way most of us were raised, and we're not willing to accept truth and change. However, also because there's a lot of money involved in sexism and racism, and you don't think anyone would willingly give that up, do you? Government still has to pidgeon-hole us into categories. Look at the census. It's a great example, since all we're supposed to be doing is counting citizens, and where does race (plus everything else they are asking for) come into counting?
Dr. King's dream is still a long way off.
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Maybe that's why there's always going to be people like the Rev's Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton to keep it going. If all the races start getting along and putting their differences aside, those gentlemen will be out of a job. Just my $0.02!
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