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NEWSAIie Ctailane
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Raleigh fire department
makes its pitch for diversity
/VDVERXISI
By Cynthia Dean
THE TTUANGLE TRIBUNE
RALEIGH —The Raleigh Fire Department is
responding to complaints about the lack of
diversity and its hiring practices head on.
Last week, the Raleigh City Coimdl
approved the fire department’s new plan to
hire more women and minorities. Since 2003,
the dty has hired 83 new firefi^ters - 13 are
Afiican American - but none are black women.
The face of the department will change if the
new plan works.
John McGrath, the departmeait’s new fire
chief, presented the plan, which offers several
different avemoes the fire department will take
to make the agency more reflective of the com
munity it serves.
According to a press rdease fium the dty of
Ralei^, the department will hold open house
sessions on the weekends at fire stations in or
near neighborhoods that have larger Afiican-
American and Latino populations. Members of
the fire department’s recruitii^team will be on
hand to pass out information about the agency
and answer questions about employment
opportunities. They will also help potential
recruits fill out their applications.
The plan also calls for makir^ apphcations
available at all 26 fire stations throu^out the
dty Vacant fiirefi.^ter jobs and other positions
will be posted on flyers that will be posted in
other places in the community such as barber
shops, hair salons, libraries, churches and com
munity centers.
The department also plans to start an extor
sive advertising campaign on local radio sta
tions and in newspapers. In addition, it wiU
work more dosdy with area colleges and uni
versities, induding Shaw University and Saint
Ax^ustme’s College, in developing- strategic
recruiting partnerships.
Keith Sutton, president of the Triangle
Urban Le^ue, is hopeful that the plan will
successfully attract more Afiican Americans
and women to the department.
“They have some good ideas and some good
strategies, but ffiere are still some other things
that could have been done,” he said, explaining
that the plan does not give enough specifics in
some areas.
Sutton said the plan shovild include a men
toring program to help retain more black fire-
filters.
“Sometimes there might only be one black
firefighter in a station, and he might fed iso
lated,” he said.
Controversy about the department’s hiring
practices started in January after McGrath
was hired over longtime fire department
employee Larry Stanford. Stanford is black
and has been with the department for more
than 25 years. McGrath, who is white, was
hired fi'om another state.
After being passed over, Stanford wrote a let-
t^ to Ralei^ City Manager Russdl AUen who
is in charge of hiring for all city employees.
Representatives of local organizations, includ
ing the THangle Urban League, the Raleigh-
Wake NAACP and the RaleighAVake Citizens
Association, publicly supported Stanford and
also visited city officials to get changes made in
the fire department.
Marshall Harvey, former president of the
RWCA, said the plan is at least a beginning.
“I think it’s a good beginning to get diversity
in the department, but what took so long?,” he
asked. “Now it is time to put us in more respon
sible positions. It’s all ri^tifwe graduate up to
drive, but we want more administrative posi
tions. Reports will be presented to the city
cotmcdl and the general public following each
recruitment dass. McGrath’s first progress
report on minority recruitment is due in
September.
You have story ideas.
We’re listening.
Call (704) 376-0496
e-mail editorial©thecharlottepost.com
Charlotte
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