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Civil Services
Under Fire
After two black firefighters found hangmen's nooses on their gear in February, Mayor John Peyton requested an investigation. In August, the city's Human Rights Commission concluded that while the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department is one of the best in the country at fighting fires and performing rescues, racism and discrimination are widespread. And, the commission ruled, the problems won't be corrected under the current leadership.
As a result, the commission recommended firing Fire Chief Rick Barrett and several other top officials. The investigation determined that Barrett was sending mixed messages about the department's commitment to diversity, saying he terminated training within the department. Only nine fire department employees completed mandatory diversity training in the last three years, according to the investigation. The commission also determined that blacks and women are disciplined differently. Between July 2003 and April 2006, black firefighters received 43% of the reprimands while making up 20% of the workforce.
Fire Union President Roger Lewis called the commission's findings inflammatory and irresponsible, saying it was unfair to ask the leadership to resign. NAACP President Isaiah Rumlin supported the commission's recommendations, as did Alonzo McQueen of the Jacksonville Brotherhood of Firefighters, a black firefighter group.
Peyton, who hired Barrett in 2003, rejected the call to fire him and the other officials, saying the current leadership can correct the problems, adding that all firefighters must participate in "robust diversity training" before the end of the year.
