Posted on 08/09/2006 12:07:06 PM PDT by flowerplough
The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) has changed its hiring requirements to boost the number of people of color and women.
During a press conference at a city firehouse on Monday, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced the new hiring guidelines. The first step is to reduce the number of college credits it requires of potential recruits from 30 to 15, or six months of work experience.
The FDNY for many years has been criticized for its lack of racial, ethnic and gender diversity in training classes and on the force itself. Critics say this stems from its hiring practices, which have come under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department, the New York Daily News reports.
"The changes, along with a stronger recruitment effort, are small steps in the right direction," says Capt. Paul Washington, head of the Vulcan Society, a group representing the FDNY's black firefighters and a frequent critic of the department's hiring practices. "It's encouraging, but there's more to be done."
In other words, non-white males. Go figure
Every time standards are lowered, public safety is jeopardized. I am all in favor, if they so choose, of encouraging recruiting in minority or ethnic neighborhoods to find the best candidates who ALSO meet the same requirements as anyone else.
Whose interest does it serve... or how does it increase my safety... by having a more diverse, rather than a more highly skilled, force? I want the best, and the brightest, and the strongest, and the most qualified on the wall fighting for me... and I could care not a damn if he or she looks or speaks like me.
Racism is still racism... no matter who gets to define the word. Quotas are racist, and lowering standards is DANGEROUS and WRONG.
Gotta have someone "legal" to check under all those burkas?
Well said, Abe. ...and spot on.
And these people have the nerve to scream about the amount of money they receive for homeland security????????
Wonder how many deaths of civilians AND OTHER FIREMEN this will cause...
You're so right.
What is it about these people that they just can't see this.
I'm 6'4" 290lbs. , when I need assistance in a fire, I'm thinking these affirmative action hires aren't going to be of much help to me.
Give me the biggest, strongest, smartest, most qualified PLEASE?
That is what I'm paying for right?
Ping!
That would make a great tagline.
Well isn't that special? Apparently dumbing down the standards wasn't enough, they now have to overtly discriminate against white men.
Next season they ought to do an episode of "Rescue me" targeting this nonsense. Though that show has been getting in a few more barbs at Republicans lately, like Dr Rice and Gov Bush.
The changes, along with a stronger recruitment effort, are small steps in the right direction," says Capt. Paul Washington, head of the Vulcan Society, a group representing the FDNY's black firefighters and a frequent critic of the department's hiring practices. "It's encouraging, but there's more to be done."
Okay, good Captain Washington..... it will probably never happen, to you at least, but let's say you are in a burning building and you find yourself trapped... now, you look up and there is a 98-pound minority female EEOC hire standing there, and she is the only firefighter around.... whatcha gonna do then....? (personally, I would put my head between my legs and kiss my a$$ goodbye, 'cause there ain't no way she's gonna rescue me and save my life.....!!)...
seriously.....how many people, firefighters, civilians, others, are going to die because of all this PC madness...??
The one good thing that happened though was an old-school battalion chief yelling "get a man on that ladder!" at the top of his lungs toward the female. Not only was he cognizant of the failure of affirmative action, the entire crowd of people within earshot became aware also as they observed the female struggle with a simple yet very physical task. How anyone in that crowd could continue to support AA after that visceral, primal, in-your-face example is beyond me.
Liberalism may indeed be a mental illness: "Sure, my family died in the inferno, but at least the Fire Dept. is made up of women/people of color; that's what really matters!"
Affirmative action means preferential hiring of the incompetant.
Big deal. Since 1990 the FAA has been doing this for aviation safety inspectors, hiring underqualified blacks and women over highly-qualified white men. Feel safer now?
This is my career field. I can tell you that this is an issue all over the country in almost every major fire department.
Minorities aren't making the scores to compete on civil service exams.
This is the primary bargaining issues for cities who want to side step state laws regulating hiring. These hiring requirements are set out in contracts.
The more the system is screwed with to promote diversity the more law suits we have.
I know of minorities that have been given wayyyyyy more latitude in an effort to keep her. She was eventually fired when she could not perform the job. Now she's suing.
Chicago Fire Dept hired all eligible candidates that scored an 82 or bettern in order to help diversify. They've been hiring off this list since the nineties.
Now a judge just held up a law suit saying an 81 or an 80 didn't mean the applicants couldn't do the job. Now they have 2000 applicants seeking damages.
The more you screw with it the more they screw it up.
How can you mold an objective system into a subjective system to facilitate hiring a certain race or gender with out discriminating against another race or gender?
The answer lies in growing kids that are willing to do the job and have the tools to compete.
Just my two cents
Thanks for the Ping!
Have fun on your trip Basil
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