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Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Report: Sac Fire Department lacks racial, gender diversity
by Kathleen Haley, published on September 27, 2010 at 6:57 PM
Storyline: Sacramento City Hall / Politics
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The city’s Fire Department lacks diversity in the racial and gender make-up of its employees, according to a committee that reports to the City Council.
City Council members plan to discuss the committee’s June report on the department’s diversity at their Sept. 28 meeting.
“With the exception of Native Americans, the numbers of females and racial/ethnic minority groups are disproportionately underrepresented in the city of Sacramento Fire Department compared to the demographic make-up of these groups within the county labor force,” according to the committee’s report, which is referred to as an “equal employment opportunity analysis.”
The committee that made the findings is part of the Small Business Development and Employment Advisory Board, which has a role in studying diversity at city hall. It used U.S. Census demographic figures in its report.
The overwhelming majority of the Fire Department was white in 2008, according to the report. While figures showed that 62.7 percent of workers in Sacramento County were white, 75 percent of the Fire Department’s employees were white, according to the report.
Women accounted for 14.5 percent of the Fire Department’s staff, but they represent 47.8 percent of the county’s working population, the report said.
Department spokesman Jonathan Burgess said it has been at least three years since the department hired any new firefighters.
Fire Chief Ray Jones, who is black, became the head of the department in January 2008.
Burgess said that diversity is a priority for Jones, and that any problems with diversity began before Jones became chief. “If this was a problem, it was definitely long before” he led the department, Burgess said.
The department is holding daily “brown-outs,” or service cuts, due to budget reductions. The brown-outs mean that eight firefighters and the equipment they use are taken out of service each day, Burgess noted.
While the department is grappling with its budget cuts, it will be hiring next year for a new fire station in Natomas, Burgess said.
Read the report on diversity in the Fire Department here.
Photo: Fire Chief Ray Jones talks to reporters at a June press conference on the city's budget.
Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.
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This article should have cited Proposition 209.
I dont care what race or ethnicity a firefighter is as long as they are qualified for the job.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Proposition_209_(1996)
Do you have anything to add to give a broader perspective?
Men have more upper body strength, period.
I don't know why white boys are more likely to want to be firemen when they grow up, but they are. Deal with it.
I served with many gays in the military, everyone knew who they were - as long as they kept their military bearing, in my experience no one cared. DADT works.
i say all of this, and i am not even gay!!!!!! what happened to equality for all? if the serviceman wants to be a "queen" as you say, so what? if he saves your life or my life, then i don't care about his sexual preference. his/her job would be to protect this country, not act less of a "queen".