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Home > Blogs > Dayton area crime > Archives > 2008 > August > 15 > Entry
City fire, police departments want more minority candidates
Following a directive from city commissioners, the Dayton fire and police departments are looking to hire minority officers and firefighters for the next upcoming testing period in January.
And to do that, the city is easing its requirements for those who wish to serve.
Interim fire Chief Herbert Redden said his department is in desperate need of diversity. As of June, of the close to 400 fire and medic workers, 10 percent are female, 6 percent are black and 2 percent are listed in the “other” minority color.
To get more recruits the city is not requiring prior firefighting or EMT certification for those that wish to take the test in January, Redden said. Before, you had to be a professional firefighter or EMT just to take the test.
“This is going to be more of an entry-level thing,” Redden said. “By doing that we hope to draw a larger pool of candidates.”
The police department is doing the same thing, but the department’s diversity numbers have not yet been made available.
“We are looking at employees of companies who are downsizing or moving out that are getting left behind,” Redden said. “We have also contacted the NAACP and other community groups and asked them to participate in the process.”
Officials have also traveled to Columbus, Cincinnati and points in between looking for candidates, Redden said.
For those wanting to test, a date has yet to be set, but will be sometime in January, Redden said. You can call the city at (937) 333-3616 for more details.
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Comments
By CityResident
August 15, 2008 1:08 PM | Link to this
Just what the dying city needs; ease requirements for Safety Professionals and get unqualified, or worse, liability prone hires. I’m not saying all would be, but take the best you can get (with Residency) and clean up the city.
By Had Enough
August 15, 2008 1:26 PM | Link to this
Any else see the problem with the residency rule? If you can’t find qualified candidates within the City limits the answer is, lower the qualifications until you do. Great idea.
By Joe
August 15, 2008 1:37 PM | Link to this
I am outraged that a police or fire candidate would be considered based on skin color. where is EOE? Instead of trying to recruit minorities, try recruiting someone that is most qualified, reguardless of color!
By Dayton Resident
August 15, 2008 2:03 PM | Link to this
It was not always a requirement to have prior experience before taking the test for police or fire. A civil service test was given. I say Good Luck recruiting people that want to live in the City. This is why we need to banish the residency rule. If I hear one more time that the citizens voted this in, I’m going to scream - I say run that by the voters again and see what everyone thinks now!!
By worried citizen
August 15, 2008 2:10 PM | Link to this
wow there goes dayton. think its time to get rid residency so we can have good fire and police. im a minority and i dont agree with hiring cause they are black it should be cause they have the skills this dying city needs not some kid out of high school. city council get rid of the residency and make them live in the county. if my house burns dont i will be on the steps of city hall demanding better fire and police
By dea
August 15, 2008 2:46 PM | Link to this
Are you guys crazy or what. This is the exact reason Dayton has become such a losing city. Here we go, catering to the blacks again. Next you people will be hiring people right out of prison to become police officers, only if they are an minority.
By Roger
August 15, 2008 2:49 PM | Link to this
I’d rather have a qualified professional responding to my emergency than a group of diverse non-professional citizens. This is the most dangerous initiative I have ever heard of. Absolutely stupid. The fact that they are lowering the standards to get diversity is insulting to those they seek to hire and a danger to those they seek to serve.
By RaginCajun
August 15, 2008 3:11 PM | Link to this
All you guys need to do is study New Orleans to see where you’re all headed. May God be with you.
By Ty
August 15, 2008 3:43 PM | Link to this
if i dont meet the minimum standards of a job - then i dont expect to get it. I am isulted that the city would lower standards just to hire minorities - as if we a dumber than non minorities!!!
By Ty
August 15, 2008 3:47 PM | Link to this
I am a minority and if i dont meet the minimum standards of a job - then i dont expect to get it. I am isulted that the city would lower standards just to hire minorities - as if we are dumber than non minorities!!!
By J
August 15, 2008 4:22 PM | Link to this
This is ridiculous. My husband has been a City of Dayton Firefighter for a long time. He is also a college graduate. He struggled through the Paramedic courses at Sinclair because of how much infornation is crammed into them and how incredibly difficult they are. He made it through and is a wonderful firefighter/medic now. The civil service test has already been downgraded to an 8-grade level. What’s next? A 4th grade level? Come on! If someone in my family needs the help a firefighter/paramedic provides, I DO NOT want someone coming to my aid whose only qualification for the job is that of his/her skin color.
By Jeff
August 15, 2008 4:23 PM | Link to this
It’s amazing to see all these irresponsible and racist comments. You always hear I don’t have a racist bone in my body but these comments validate that it is still as strong as ever. As to the point the city should only hire qualified candidates, why is it that whenever minorities are given a chance to at employment the first comments are “if they can’t pass the test they don’t deserve the job”. I am a professional and when I had the highest score for two jobs and the second highest for another I was passed up by those companies for someone with lower qualifications. One of the jobs called me later because the person that they hired couldn’t perform. These incidents are not unique to most minorities it’s the norm. Most of the people posting comments on here who have descent jobs and are non minorities got them because of someone that they or their family knew not because they were qualified. Princeton has done a study that showed a white male with a felony could get a job faster than an educated black man with no folonies. I also know of a guy who qualified for the civil service exam back when they gave it, and still was passed over by the police force. I can go on and on but it is probably useless because racist viewpoints and ignorance go hand in hand and may god bless you all with the ability to see life through a clearer lens.
By BCRez
August 15, 2008 4:29 PM | Link to this
Yup. Sounds like Mayor McDummy at work again. “If at first you don’t succeed, lower your standards.”
By mo
August 15, 2008 5:08 PM | Link to this
Most opinions that I see on this article are nothing more than ignorance, not based on just racism, but not reading the article thoroughly. As soon as one see they’re looking to lower “hiring practice” standards, have you ever stopped to think in some cases, they’re too high. We can take it back to the most recent Police shooting. Smart enough to pass the “standards”, but dumb enough to lose his job. It dosen’t take much “standards” to train one. That’s what the academy is for. Why not train a young laid-off factory worker to be a cop? Why not train a “legal” immigrant to be a paramedic? What’s wrong with someone who grew up in the Bass with a High School Diploma saving your home from being ruined. If they’re all “TRAINED!!!” Just like any job or business you have or had. Those standards that are being sought after now don’t live here!!! You can’t blame the mayor. Dayton’s been dying years before she got in. She took over a dying city. If she and Young Rashad are behind this, and you’re opposed to this, if you had your way, you would be the first to cry about not having enough emergency personnel and how bad the response time is because you’re worried about “high standards” before taking a simple test. Still don’t understand? Read the article over until you do.
By J
August 15, 2008 5:10 PM | Link to this
Jeff: Lord help you if your house catches on fire or you need medical help. I agree that many qualified minorities do get passed over for jobs because of skin color - that’s not what this is about. This is about LOWERING standards and the quality of care in our community so our numbers can look good. I’m interested in finding out what percentage of the entire City of Dayton workforce is minority. Anyone know?
By J
August 15, 2008 5:21 PM | Link to this
mo: Please go back and read my first comment. I am the wife of a firefighter who watched her college-educated husband struggle through the paramedics courses because of how difficult they are. You can’t “just” be trained. You have to be able to do complex mathematical computations in highly stressful situations. And not just as a medic. If you are a firefighter, you need to do high level math just to be able to operate the engine once it arrives at a fire. You just don’t arrive on a scene and go crazy spraying water all over the place. It’s a science and a skill that takes people who are able to think on their feet quickly and work incredibly well in stressful situations.
By Kayla
August 15, 2008 5:22 PM | Link to this
This is by far the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard; you would rather hire unqualified minorities then hire an experienced qualified white person? Just saying that even sounds stupid, you can get qualified personal to work for the city easily abolish the residency rule like the state already did. Instead you are wasting millions of dollars more by trying to fight this stupid thing. Put it on the ballot and let the public vote on whether or not the residency rule should stick, I guarantee it would fail in a heartbeat. Pretty soon, white people will be calling racism and be considered by the minority. Talk about running your city into the ground even more, way to go city councilmen.
By KT
August 15, 2008 5:22 PM | Link to this
How do we get rid of our city commissioners? How stupid can they be? I am glad to hear that both black and white folks in this town are outraged by this idea and want the best candidate for the job regardless of their skin color. The folks that run this city can talk all they want about improving race relations, then they go and come up with an initiative that is insulting to the black folks and un fair to the white folks. I tell you, if I chose to apply for one of those jobs and was passed over because of my skin color I would sue every one of the idiots running this city. I have an idea, next time we vote for mayor and other city officials lets get these clowns out of office, not because of their skin color but because they are incompetent and need to move on.
By Kayla
August 15, 2008 5:31 PM | Link to this
The comments about the requirements being to hire are you serious. The requirements from just about any major department and when I say major I mean any that isnt volunteer, requires that you have atleast a Firefighter level 1 certificate and a EMT Basic certificate. None ever say you must have prior experience but you must have official training. Do you seriously want to have some unqualified person trying to save your house or how about if you or a loved one has a car accident and you need EMS service do you want somebody who has no idea what they are doing trying to help? I know I dont. Its sad when I would get hired over my husband simply because I am a women even though I have no training or prior experience and he has 3 years of experience and all the training. So now its like saying why go to school to further your education, its just a waste of money because your white and a male so good luck being hired. If your qualified it shouldnt matter what color or gender the person is, but the key term is QUALIFIED person!!
By kAYLA
August 15, 2008 5:48 PM | Link to this
How about we make it simple and do this all the correct way, who ever is the most qualified, meaning educated experienced all the way around. Then hire the ones who rank the highest without taking sex or race into consideration. The way it should be. Who would of ever thought, just hire the people who are qualified.
By Rob
August 15, 2008 7:18 PM | Link to this
Honestly, are they saying that the standards are too hard for minorities to pass? How racist is that? Instead of calling minorities inferior to whites why don’t they look into the reasons why qualified minority candidates don’t apply for the job and work on that!
By Mike
August 16, 2008 9:30 PM | Link to this
I see the legacy of C.J. McLin lives on in his daughter. Now THAT was a man who knew how to play racial favorites!
By Kerista
August 17, 2008 7:16 PM | Link to this
I think this is definitly a great idea and something I would be willing to test for. I begin police academy in Jan. and I am a full time criminal justice student. I question to why Dayton needs more minoritys and the purpose for this? Please respond, thanks.
By zack
August 19, 2008 2:20 PM | Link to this
Let me get this correct: The City wants more minorities so they feel they should “lower the requirements.” - I am outraged. Even a program of racism such as affirmative action was created to ensure that minorities would not be skipped or passed over based on race. AA wasn’t intended to change the minimum qualifications in a job description for non-whites. What is the City saying? Are they saying that minorities are inferior? I am a non-racist white who thinks that if we want to be a ‘post-racial’ country these separatist programs need to stop. If I were African American I would be outraged and insulted that govt thinks I need special help, or that I need a hand up. You can’t be an equal opportunity employer and comply with Affirm action. Why do job applications still ask for Race? Shouldn’t everyone just check human? PS- There were 4,600 paramedic and EMT students in FL last year. 92% of them were white or Hispanic males. The department profile correlates to the applicant pool. You wouldn’t expect to see a 50% male staff at Hooters.