If the priority of the fire brigade is to get the most effective crews
at dousing fires, then relevant physical abilities should be the sole
determinant of recruitment, not some bullshit PC/affirmative action
"Racial Equality" aka Inverse Racism rubbish. This may also mean that
women are not selected for firefighting roles unless they beat their
male counterparts on equal terms.

Next thing we know Muslim firefighters will be refusing to douse fires
in non-halal butchers and un-Islamic places of activity such as
nightclubs.

Britain: Where clowns run the show, the economy is nosediving,
inflation and cost of living is soaring, you slave away about half of
every fiscal year just for the taxman, freedom is increasingly
mythical, you're guilty before innocent, we are Muzzifying, the
surveillance and database state is flourishing, criminals have more
rights than innocent people, rot is glossed over by lip service and
PR, words mean more than action and everyone has too stiff an upper
lip to bloody well admit it.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/01/25/nfire125.xml

Fire brigade 'discriminating against white men'

By Richard Savill
Last Updated: 1:59am GMT 26/01/2008

A fire brigade has been accused of pursuing a policy of discrimination
after it excluded white men from part of a recruitment drive.

Only women and people from ethnic minorities are allowed to attend
four of the five open days being held by Avon Fire Service to attract
new recruits.

The fire brigade said it was targeting specific groups because
currently 97 per cent of its 921 employees are white men.

But MPs, serving firefighters and race relations groups questioned
whether it was acting illegally by pursuing positive discrimination.

Phillip Davies, Tory MP for Shipley, said: "This sort of thing makes
people's blood boil, and does more damage than good to race relations
in this country.

"How would people react if women and black people were banned from an
open day?

"These campaigns are also enacted by white men, and it is deeply
patronising.

"I don't care whether the Fire Service is only made up of ethnic
minority women as long as they are the best people at fighting fires."

A serving firefighter, who declined to be named, claimed targeted
recruitment drives were "not helpful" as they caused tension in the
service.

He said: "It has a very negative effect on everyone. When we see
people from black and ethnic communities working as a firefighter, the
first thing you think is 'Have she or he only got the job because of
their minority origin?'

 "It is not helpful to them as they may also feel that this is the
case. Open, across the board recruitment is the only way to stop
this."

The Bristol-based charity Support Against Racist Incidents, which
provides support to victims of racism at work, also criticised the
drive.

Its director Batook Pandya said: "None of these days should be closed
to white communities. Positive discrimination is illegal, it has to be
a level playing field - that's the law."

At the open days, known as "have a go days", potential recruits meet
firefighters, use firefighting equipment, and hear about the selection
tests, ahead of the application deadline on Feb 4.

Two of the six-hour sessions have been limited to women and ethnic
minorities, one to ethnic minorities only and one to women only.

Avon Fire Service said engaging in "positive action" by encouraging
more people from certain groups to apply for a job, which it said was
lawful.

The Chief Fire Officer Kevin Pearson denied it was engaging in
positive discrimination because the open days did not involve
selecting people for jobs.

He said: "I totally refute the allegation that Avon Fire Service is
engaged in any form of positive discrimination. It is unlawful and we
would not do it."

He added: "We are doing what we can to encourage applicants from women
and minority groups who are currently under-represented in the fire
service.

"It is my concern to improve diversity so the fire service reflects
the community it serves and we can provide the best possible service.
But that positive action stops at the point of selection. Once someone
has applied, they are selected on merit."

He said the service was aiming for 15 per cent of its workforce to be
female, and three per cent to be from ethnic groups.

Two years ago, Avon and Somerset police paid compensation to a
rejected white male recruit it turned down due to "positive
discrimination".

Ralph Welsman was one of 186 white men whose applications were
rejected in favour of those from women and ethnic minorities.

Counsel told the force that its policy could have contravened the Sex
Discrimination and Race Relations Act. The policy was later scrapped.

Avon Fire Service was at the centre of controversy last year when four
firemen were disciplined for shining their torches at four gay men
having outdoor sex in park bushes.

Two of the firemen were fined up to £1,000; one was demoted in rank
and the other given a written warning.

Each of them was also ordered to attend an equal opportunities course
titled "Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgender Equality in the Fire
Service - an absolute taboo?"

On Sat, 26 Jan 2008 07:05:33 -0800 (PST),  in uk.politics.misc, in
thread Fire brigade: "Turbonegros make better firefighters", "J. D."
, wrote 

>He said the service was aiming for 15 per cent of its workforce to be
>female, and three per cent to be from ethnic groups.

I read something on this several years ago where a similar drive was
taking place (California, I think) and though I can't remember the
wording, the writer asked that if you were trapped in a burning building
if you had rather your rescuer, carrying oxygen tanks and equipment, be
a burly 6 foot 4 inch man or a 5 foot chinese woman.  Also noted was
that since so few women could pass the equipment carrying and obstacle
removal/negotiation requirements that the physical tests had been
diluted down until the average woman could meet them.

FACE

On 26 Jan, 15:22, FACE  wrote:
> On Sat, 26 Jan 2008 07:05:33 -0800 (PST), �in uk.politics.misc, in> thread Fire brigade: "Turbonegros make better firefighters", "J. D."
> , wrote
>
> >He said the service was aiming for 15 per cent of its workforce to be
> >female, and three per cent to be from ethnic groups.
>
> I read something on this several years ago where a similar drive was
> taking place (California, I think) and though I can't remember the
> wording, the writer asked that if you were trapped in a burning building
> if you had rather your rescuer, carrying oxygen tanks and equipment, be
> a burly 6 foot 4 inch man or a 5 foot chinese woman. �Also noted was
> that since so few women could pass the equipment carrying and obstacle
> removal/negotiation requirements that the physical tests had been
> diluted down until the average woman could meet them.
>
> FACE

Any decent person would say to the Chinese woman: "Not being a racist
I am happy to burn to death because you can't carry me down the
ladder".

J. D. wrote:

> If the priority of the fire brigade is to get the most effective crews
> at dousing fires, then relevant physical abilities should be the sole
> determinant of recruitment, not some bullshit PC/affirmative action
> "Racial Equality" aka Inverse Racism rubbish. This may also mean that
> women are not selected for firefighting roles unless they beat their
> male counterparts on equal terms.

Why should my taxes go towards this,

> Next thing we know Muslim firefighters will be refusing to douse fires
> in non-halal butchers and un-Islamic places of activity such as
> nightclubs.

On anyone who owns a bible, has bacon in their fridge, or objects to
perverts in their parks.

> Avon Fire Service was at the centre of controversy last year when four
> firemen were disciplined for shining their torches at four gay men
> having outdoor sex in park bushes.

The bum bandits also hosted an international meeting for fags paid for
out of my taxes. The fire service is there to fight fires, not go on
some international fag-rag-heading crusade.