General Forums >> Ask a Firefighter >> Poll: Are Firehouses More Racist than Other Places
Poll: Are Firehouses More Racist than Other Places
Poll: Are Firefighters More or Less Racist than Average Americans?
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Posted 6 months ago The Supreme Court case about race and firefighter promotions is causing houses across this nation to reflect upon our own problems with racial integration. Have you seen examples of this in either a positive or negative light? Do you think this is the main issue of our day? Why or why not? Chris |
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| Posted 6 months ago I am sure this happen all over United States, but a lot of this are not file, for one or other reason, discrimination always is going to be around no matter what. |
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| Posted 6 months ago i am not a firm believer in affirmative action but I clearly believe that the best man, no matter what the color, should be promoted to a particular position. I have had good and bad leaders, both white and African-American. I am not a racist and I truly think that most firehouses are not but I am sure there are undertones somewhere out there. My feelings are that we ALL train to do the best we can. Do we ask what color our victims are? Certainly not. Why should it matter what color the rescuer is? Let's move on people... |
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| Posted 6 months ago I'm not a believer in affirmative action either, I also don't believe in race months such as black history month and latin history month. I don't discriminate anyone based on race, gender, or beliefs. I'll admit that I consider myself a "profiler," but this includes all races and is nowhere near being racist. To be honest with you, if we really wanted to put an end to racism, then one should take the whole issue of race out of the picture. I'm talking about all the things such as affirmative action, special scholarships, rewards, and other promotions that are only made available to one group of people only because of the race that they are. |
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| Posted 6 months ago cherrybomb says ...
Took the words right out of my mouth . |
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| Posted 6 months ago PGVFD_1376 says ... I'm not a believer in affirmative action either, I also don't believe in race months such as black history month and latin history month. I don't discriminate anyone based on race, gender, or beliefs. I'll admit that I consider myself a "profiler," but this includes all races and is nowhere near being racist. To be honest with you, if we really wanted to put an end to racism, then one should take the whole issue of race out of the picture. I'm talking about all the things such as affirmative action, special scholarships, rewards, and other promotions that are only made available to one group of people only because of the race that they are. In an industry as dangerous as we are in, we have to have the best qualified people in the leadership positions. Other wise you potentially put your guys(especially rookies) in harms way because the people in charge don't know what to do when the s**t hits the fan. Robert T. Garland Jr.
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| Posted 6 months ago In the Fire Service we are sometimes required to endure tremendous hardship and experience horrific acts. We do this in close proximity with our fellow firefighters. We are together for extended periods of time and during that time in a moment of sheer terror or personal weakness we sometimes say or do the wrong things. Sometimes our actions are taken out of context. Other times our perceptions are clouded by extenuating circumstances in the Firehouse or outside of the Fire Service. All of these situations can make us hypersensitive to sexism, racism, and any number of "isms." I don't believe racism is running rampant in the Firehouse. As long as racism, sexism, and the other intolerances exist in society they will be mirrored in the Fire Service.
Eddie D. Howard
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| Posted 6 months ago afirmitive action is garbage!!!! It should be based on the person's qualification's and not their skin color. Im sorry if I have affended anyone but if the time come's to where I need help for any reason I don't care if your black, white, yellow, or red, I just want to rely on the fact that the person trying to help is the right person for the job and not that they are there because what skin color they have. Guess what? In case people have'nt noticed yet, we are all human! |
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| Posted 6 months ago Ravenfirefighter says ...
I think I like this one best so far. In my experience, if anything, I've seen less of the "isms" in the fire stations. Things happen, but everything is usually worked out before shift change. As Raven stated, we see and deal with some pretty serious crap together. That tends to create a bond between people that goes further than the normal "pick your friends" kind of stuff. After several shifts together in the station, the group usually seems to morph into a kind of dysfunctional family in which only the immediate members really get along and understand one another.
The largest room is the room for self improvement |
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| Posted 3 months ago racism exists, sorry to say. I am not a racist I am equal oppertunity I hate everyone no matter the skin color,ethnic background and religion. I don't think that the fire service is more or less racist than anyother segment of the community, I think however that the cities are more affraid of being sued by someone that is racist. case in point the city of Baytown Texas was under a court order to make the Fire Dept 51% black and 25% OTW, the demographics of the city don't equal the court requirements. second case The City Of Houston Texas was sued by the black patrolmans union for having a racially biased rank advancement test and the union won the case and the city was made to change the test. there were certain questions that were on the test as control questions and the patrolmans union specifically mentioned several of them in the suit, I can remember 2 I think the first being who was the first president of the United States the second being how many stars and stripes are on the US Flag. Both of these questions were cited as being racially biased against minority candidates. and they also attacked the mathmatical part of the test, now I don't know about any of you but if someone that supposed to be a captain can't use a calculator and figure the friction loss in 1 3/4 hose and knocks me on my behind cause he figured the loss for 500ft of hose when it was broken at 300. I think an arse whoopin may commence. if they aren't qualified I don't care if they are the best butt kisser in the world and don't care who they know or what their skin color is they better study and know what they are sposed to know |
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| Posted 3 months ago as far as payed depts. such as buffalo. i believe there racist in the way the WHITES are discriminated against for entery/civil service exams are conserned. if your black and taking the civil service exam for buffalo i believe you get +10 points added to your score. whites do not get any points added also women get +5 points added to there scores. i agree with adding points for being in the armed services... but its not the whites faults for (no offense) scoring better w/o having any points added to there test... if a person studies and scores better why should they be penalized for being smart/prepaired (not getting points added for certin reasons)... |
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| Posted 2 months ago I do think we are more racist. Not because of skin color or gender but of outsiders coming into the department. Who reallt trusts that brand new rookie until they prove themselves under pressure. Our racist ways keep us more safe. Maybe I'm wrong but this has kept me and our shift safe so far. |
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| Posted 2 months ago I think firefighters couldn't care less about race. It is only an issue because some want to make it an issue or use it as an excuse. Hiring according to the nations population averages is crazy, or favoring one race over another because of past difficulties for one particular race. Keep it out of the stations. Don't we have more things to worry about than if our department looks like a respresentation of the country? |
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| Posted 2 months ago The fire dept doesn't hold a candle to the factory i used to work in. Every time we went to diversity training things got worse. As "red neck" as the FD is we are no where near as bad as the aclu. |
