July 2009 Issue Number 110

Is a monthly electronic newsletter which links current events and issues to the daily challenges faced by fire and emergency services managers. Current topics in the areas of leadership development, workplace diversity, change management, and conflict resolution will be discussed.

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Consider This...

Small Actions, Big Outcome

Chuck Forbes had been battling liver disease half his life, and had been on the list for a liver transplant for over a year. He lived in rural Wyoming, and when the call finally came that a liver had become available, the timing couldn’t have been worse. Chuck and his wife Ruth were headed down to Denver for the surgery when they hit a spring blizzard that had closed all the roads. Panicked, Ruth called 911.

At first the dispatcher told her that the storm had been predicted, and there was nothing to be done. Then she reconsidered. “Hang on,” she told Ruth. “I’ll get a patrolman to come talk to you.”

That small decision on the dispatcher’s part led to State Trooper Chuck Bloom’s arrival a short time later. After talking to the couple, he made a call to the area boss for the Wyoming Department of Transportation. Within ten minutes, a convoy of snowplows arrived at the scene. They escorted the couple in white-out conditions all the way to the state line. They made it safely to Denver, and Chuck Forbes had his new liver the next morning.

It would have been easy for the dispatcher that day to just go on to the next call. Instead she decided to do something, and take action within her scope of authority. It wasn’t a big thing for her to call the state patrol, or for the officer to contact the Department of Transportation. But those small actions saved a life.

Firefighters may save lives by running into burning buildings, or paramedics by resuscitating patients. But the power to make a difference exists even in the smallest actions, when people are willing to step up, recognize a real need, and make a decision.

Source: Associated Press, April 7, 2009

The Fire and Rescue Service of the United Kingdom has begun making available new uniform options that reflect the needs of the modern and diverse workforce. In addition to designing uniforms that better fit people of different genders, physical sizes and body types, the new uniforms also provide options for different cultural needs, including long sleeved shirts, head scarf and turban variations, and full length skirts for dress uniforms. The new uniforms were rigorously tested under many different conditions throughout the country. Fire Minister Fariq Kahn said, “We want the widest range of applicants to apply to join the Fire and Rescue Service. To achieve this, it is important that all applicants– men and women– know that the uniform and clothing they will be issued will not only protect them but will also fit properly and be comfortable.”

Source: The Government News Network, March 30, 2009

“Reverse Discrimination”

The recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the New Haven firefighters case had many people talking about reverse discrimination. The case involved a group of firefighters who had tested for the positions of lieutenant and captain on the fire department in 2003 and had scored high enough to be promoted. These firefighters were all white, with one Hispanic joining as plaintiffs in the law suit. The City of New Haven decided to throw out the test results because they feared a disparate impact lawsuit by minority firefighters. Instead, the white firefighters sued, and after losing twice in lower courts, the U.S. Supreme Court found in their favor earlier this month.

Many analysts and pundits called this decision one that related to “reverse discrimination.” The term was used so often that it was usually not defined or clarified– it was assumed everyone knew what it meant. And although the Supreme Court decision was complex and controversial, and included many technical terms, one phrase not to be found anywhere in the decision is “reverse discrimination.”

This is because legally, there really is no such thing.

The Supreme Court found that the white firefighters had experienced discrimination under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, a law that prohibits discrimination in the workplace based on characteristics that include race. “Race” in Title VII does not mean “race other than white.” If someone has been legitimately discriminated against in the workplace because of being white, that person is covered under Title VII, and always has been. A number of cases have been decided in favor of white plaintiffs in such cases, the New Haven firefighters’ case being only the most recent.

Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act (along with its amendments) is a law that protects everyone. Under the law, if you experience discrimination that is covered by this law (based on race, sex, ethnicity, religion, color, age, or disability), you can apply for relief under it by filing a claim with the EEOC, as the New Haven firefighters did. Using the term “reverse discrimination” implies that there are two systems out there. In fact, there is one, which in this case was used by the New Haven firefighters, with the result being their victory in the nation’s highest court.

Source: Ricci v. DeStefano, U.S. Supreme Court, 07-1428

© Linda F. Willing, 2009