No. of Recommendations: 4
If my house is on fire, I for one don't give a rip what the firefighter who's coming to put it out looks like. Yes you do. And...
SNIP Demographically speaking, our nation’s fire departments are not diverse. Consider the following workforce statistics from 2019 reported by Data USA:
95.8% of firefighters were male.
79.9% of firefighters were white and non-Hispanic.
A fire department that resembles its community in demographic makeup is more likely to be able to provide effective service and garner more respect from citizens. For example, if your community has a large percentage of residents who speak Spanish, firefighters who also speak the language can better communicate with citizens during both emergencies and non-emergency interactions. Community members who are in an emergency situation or who have been through one recently may feel more comfortable speaking to someone with whom they can identify.
More inclusive fire departments can also improve the innovation and problem-solving abilities of their teams. The more perspectives and experiences that individuals can bring to the firehouse, the better. Not to mention, failing to maintain a diverse fire service could raise questions regarding hiring practices, potentially leading to lawsuits, budget cuts or
community distrust. Simply put, maintaining a diverse department benefits both the fire department and the community it serves. SNIP
https://www.columbiasouthern.edu/blog/blog-article...
