Letters
to the Editor:
Northeast Times
February 24,
2005 edition
Hiring of city
firefighters is a colorful debate
Reporter Tom Waring and
the Northeast Times editorial board are to be commended for their
coverage of the Concerned American Firefighters Association. It is,
however, unfortunate of their choice of headline, White firemen are hot
and bothered, in the Feb. 10 story.
CAFFA’s
membership consists of every race in the Fire Department and it is by
no means a white organization. The organization was founded on the
principle of equality and of the mission of hiring and promoting free
of quotas of any type. CAFFA would not even exist if the city would
just abide by the law and their own policies.
You
don’t have to look far to see how the Fire Department
consistently violates the mayor’s own Statement of Policy
included in the City of Philadelphia’s Equal Employment
Opportunity Plan. The first paragraph states, "It is the policy of the
City of Philadelphia to assure equal employment opportunity to its
employees and applicants for employment on the basis of fitness and
merit without regard to race, color, religion, national origin,
political affiliation, handicap, sex, or age."
It goes on
to state, "It is not the intent of this policy to permit or require the
lowering of bona fide job requirements or qualification standards to
give preference to any employee or applicant for employment."
For the last eight years
according to our research, the city has done the exact opposite. It has
routinely passed over candidates scoring high on the entrance exam to
reach lower scoring candidates to fill a quota. The job of a
firefighter in this city is unforgiving and dangerous, and on any given
day when leaving for work you may be saying goodbye to your loved ones
for the last time.
Black, white, Hispanic
and Asian firefighters fight fires and take extraordinary risks to save
lives and protect property. They work as a team and in harmony to help
others regardless of race. I’d say it’s about time
the city stops breaking the law, which creates divisiveness, and starts
hiring on merit rather than race.
Michael P.
Bresnan
President, Concerned
American Firefighters Association, Philadelphia Chapter
• •
•
The idea that people of
color are being given a job because of their color concerns me and also
frightens me even more.
If there is anything to
be given out, make it education or special programs so they achieve
their goals fair and square. I blame the people who run this city, from
the mayor on down. I used the word frightened not only for me but for
the men and women who are given these jobs that they are not qualified
for.
If your home
was in flames or your loved one was having a heart attack, do you want
someone coming to your aid who is not qualified to handle the
situation? Is it fair to risk the life of the firefighter,
who’s hoping you got his back if he needs you? Changes need
to be made YESTERDAY.
Theresa Sharkey
Mayfair
March 3, 2005
edition
Please stay on that hot
seat
Thank you for staff
writer Tom Waring’s fabulous article, White firemen are hot
and bothered (Feb. 10 edition.)
It is about time that a
newspaper wrote about this issue. It seems like it is a secret. Please
stay on top of it.
Marlene Armbruster
East Torresdale
