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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 Daniel Luechtefeld on
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Race will always be a factor.
Volumes of psychological research lead us to the unfortunate conclusion that humans are hard-wired for a certain level of discriminatory behavior; such behavior had a beneficial effect early in our species' development of societies. Societies evolved as an adaptation against threats; it is natural to view other members of the species and/or societies as threats where there exists competition for limited resources.
Consequently, we must expend extraordinary individual and collective efforts to identify and overcome our innate tendencies to discriminate against others.
A good starting point is to inventory hidden, subconscious biases in oneself using psychometric tools such as the "Implicit Association Test": https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/demo/featuredtask.html
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Permalink Reply by Shareef Abdu Nur on
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No, my departments do not reflect the demographic of our districts. Minorities make up only 2% of our workforces in a area that is 88% black. 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. Most minorities with these qualifications are already working somewhere and very few want to leave a certain level of establishment to be the first "one" at a new department that may or may not have "diversity" issues. And lastly, yes there is still racism in the Fire Service today whether or not many non minorities are aware of it or not, it still exists.
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Permalink Reply by Stephanie Shirk on
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*accepting
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Permalink Reply by WestPhilly on
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Shareef,
Many "non minorities" are absolutely aware that racism exists in the fire service today. They are victims of it.
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I understand that there are non minorities that are victims of racism but in the traditional sense of the word.
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Permalink Reply by Jake Rixner on
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Craig, I deal with that topic in my new book "CAPITOL CITY FIREMAN" It is available at all the major book stores or google Jake Rixner to buy it. Read it and let me know what you think and I will gladly sign it for you next time I am in Delaware. low and safe Brother.
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Shareef,
Oh, the "traditional" sense of the word. Apparently one tradition is being replaced by another.
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Permalink Reply by Russ on
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i have had that happen to me too and i was surprised when my partners came to my defence
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Permalink Reply by Paul Montpetit on
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Damn right race is an issue...we race to the firehouse, we race to the scene..we race to put the fire out...we race to someone in need........and that sir is all I am going to give to this post. I am not one to put blame or to criticize..."Hey we got slapped for doing this but look at that Department..they did it and nothing happened,they must hate us for wearing yellow gear."
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the reason a black person can make a racism accusation so easily is that there is no defence against it. "how does one "prove" they are not a racist? is there a list of acts that a white person must do before they are issued a card that declairs them "race free"?. My personal favorite question is, what if a person is an admitted racist? it is not a crime to be a racist. you cannot sent to prison for it. you can only be packed off if you break a law
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good story and i expierence the same things when i visit firehouses when i travel. loys of good will, besides most o them end up comming to florida anyway
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Permalink Reply by Brian Dumser on
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As far as the punishment vs. race issue, I think you've got to remove race from the equation. Look at the following factors:
- What was the "offense"?
- Was the "offense" against policy?
- Has this happened before, and if so, what was the punishment dealt out at that time?
Now as far as punishment for offenses at different F.D's, you can't realy compare the two, because one administration might view the "offense" differently from another administration, especially in different regions of the country due to differing points of view, policies, etc.
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