Management at the Halifax Fire Department has again failed to properly address racist behaviour, say black firefighters.
Last month, a black firefighter assigned to Station 50 on Hammonds Plain Road picked up a clipboard with the daily checklist for fire truck inspection, and discovered a racist and sexist “poem” written on the back of the clipboard.
The firefighter immediately reported the incident to superiors but management did not issue a condemnation of the incident until after the Halifax Association of Black Fire Fighters complained. The week delay angers the HABFF, as an immediate and public management condemnation of racist incidents was a policy recommended by a human rights lawyer hired by the city to investigate what black firefighters say is a long history of discrimination in the fire department.
The Station 50 incident mirrors a 2005 incident at Fire Station 9, in Sackville, in which the n-word was scribbled on a poster in a washroom. That incident was one of many cited in a human rights complaint filed by the HABFF (see “Black firefighters file human rights complaint,” April 2, 2009).
For more on this story, and to read the Fire Department’s delayed condemnation, see thecoast.ca/bites.
Editor’s note: The following was issued by The Coast on April 13, 2010.
APOLOGY
On March 10, 2010 The Coast posted an article on our website entitled “Black firefighters enraged.” As with all of our stories, readers were invited to comment on the article. Unfortunately, several readers took this opportunity to write defamatory comments about Halifax Regional Municipality Fire Services Chief Bill Mosher and Deputy Chief Steve Thurber.
These comments were completely unsubstantiated and have harmed the reputations of Chief Mosher and Deputy Chief Thurber. The Coast sincerely apologizes to Chief Mosher and Deputy Chief Thurber for the damage to their reputations and the pain and suffering they have endured as a result of the defamatory comments which The Coast permitted to be posted on its website.
The postings have been removed from our website. As a consequence of the abuse of our comments policy, further comment posting in respect to this story will not be accepted.
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This article appears in Mar 11-17, 2010.
I wonder when the squawking would begin if there was a Halifax Association of White Fire Fighters? We already reduced the academic qualifications to make it easier for Blacks to qualify, but still the whining continues.
Hey Basil Faulty logic,
There is an association for white fire fighters…it’s called Professional Firefighters
Local 268…as in, the union. Quite obviously this union is not offering the same protection and support to firefighters who are not white!
Putting aside your inaccurate information about lowering the academic qualifications for African Nova Scotians, I take considerable exception to the idiotic ‘whining’ comment! Do you consider it whining when a woman complains for sexual harassment at the hands of her male boss? Do you consider it whining when someone complains that their necessary medication is not covered while other medication is covered? Do you think it is whining when people with disabilities point out that they are being exclude from employment opportunities due to said disability?
Those questions are rhetorical at best because you sound like the kind of person who would see these examples as whining!
Harassment if wrong, and people who support it, whether overtly or furtively, are as bad as the perpetrators!
ok so where is the Fire Department’s delayed condemnation?
why is there a Halifax Association of Black Fire Fighters to begin with.
Is that not promoting racism and seperating the races instead of just having the races as equals? Anytime you have a specific association for anything you are labelling a difference in whatever it is.
Why not have a Halifax Association of Fire Fighters and deal with problems that arise.
Dont seperate. That is the root of segregation.
This article should now be re-titled to read…
“Fire Chief Bill Mosher Enraged Black Firefighters Fight Back”
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Burning concerns
Mail from the chief
Posted on Wed, Mar 24, 2010 at 10:23 PM
Recent media reporting and subsequent blogging comments have cast unfortunate aspersions over the Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency Services—its leadership and, as a result, all of its members (“Black firefighters enraged,” Reality Bites by Tim Bousquet, March 11).
While Nova Scotia prides itself on its freedom of speech legacy and inroads made so early in our history by individuals such as Joseph Howe, it is unfortunate those freedoms have been skewed to the detriment of the public in favour of questionable practices like anonymous blogging.
While I have thick skin and have shouldered comments as necessary in my role as fire chief, I find it hard to sit back and watch those in the service of HRM Fire and Emergency Organization have their reputations tarnished.
I write to correct information presented as fact in your article.
The offensive remark noted in the article was reported on Friday, February 26. Before the day was over, the complaint was acknowledged in writing. We categorized the remark immediately as offensive and initiated a review. The member who reported the remark was responded to and assured that we would act without delay. Other staff, including our internal diversity and conflict resolution consultants, were advised of the incident and asked to help. Our review began immediately.
On Tuesday, March 2, I sent a notice to all the personnel of the station in question, advising them of our active review. At that time, I re-affirmed our commitment to a service free of harassment and which values the diversity of all our members. A meeting was held that night at the station to explain the incident to the members and reassure all persons that corrective actions were being pursued.
On Wednesday, March 3, staff from the HRM Organizational Development and Health Section led a training session at the station. This session focused on HRM’s intolerance of disrespectful behaviour and harassment in the workplace, and included a review of our Workplace Rights Policy.
On Friday, March 5, I published a notice to all members of our fire service, informing our members of the incident and our commitment to them.
At this time, it seems unlikely that we will be able to determine who wrote the remark, or even where this clipboard came from. Our activities and commitment to a diverse service free of harassment continues. Our diversity training efforts are ongoing, from the new recruit to the seasoned veteran. Our members, from many diverse backgrounds, continue to work, volunteer and socialize together. Our differences only make us stronger.
Simply put, I will not tolerate racism within the ranks of my organization.
Were there incidents of racism reported in the fire and emergency service? Yes. Were they addressed? Yes. Is work on this issue ongoing? Yes.
I am committed to my team of professionals dedicated to the enhancement and preservation of the quality of life, property and environment through education, leadership and effective response to emergencies. The 380,000 residents of HRM are protected 24 hours a day, seven days a week by 1,129 career and volunteer firefighters. In 2007-08 alone, our organization responded to 11,820 emergency calls. They are also prepared to protect their community with emergency preparedness and give back through a number of organizations and charities including, of course, muscular dystrophy.
In the meantime, whenever there is a call, our Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency service personnel respond to their calls as a team. It is imperative not only for the safety of the public, but also for the safety of these professionals.
The service’s guiding principles include trust, dedication, integrity, caring and diversity.
HRM is an employment equity employer and considers appropriate representation in the municipality’s workforce during any recruitment campaigns. Therefore, applications from Aboriginal people, visible minorities, women and persons with disabilities are encouraged. And, as a significant employer for the region, we take claims of racism seriously. In all cases, quick and decisive action is taken to address individual incidents.
Pierre Berton said, “Racism is a refuge for the ignorant. It seeks to divide and to destroy. It is the enemy of freedom, and deserves to be met head-on and stamped out.”
We will continue on that path in the fire and emergency services organization and throughout HRM to meet racism head-on and ensure it is stamped out in an attempt to see that such behaviour is neither repeated, nor allowed to spread.
This is my commitment to all of my members within the HRM Fire and Emergency Service and to the people whom those employees serve. Sincerely,
—William H. Mosher, Chief Director, Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency