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Amid headlines such as “White Men are Banned and ‘Fire Brigade Discriminating Against White Men,’ a row has erupted after Avon Fire and Rescue Service held a series of five ‘have a go’ recruitment days, four of which were targeted at minorities and women.
The events were staged as part of Avon’s recruitment activities, and took the form of groups and individuals trying out firefighting equipment, clothing and manoeuvres to give them a taste of the job.
But the move attracted a media storm with stories on the front page of the Daily Express, and reports in the Daily Mail and Daily Telegraph. Tory MP for Shipley in West Yorkshire and campaigner against political correctness, Philip Davies, said: “This sort of thing just makes people’s blood boil and does more damage than good to race relations. How would people react if women and black people were banned from an open day? 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.”
The newspaper stories also quoted a local equality group as being sympathetic to the fire brigade’s aims, but questioning whether targeting ‘open’ days was a good way to achieve them.
In response, Avon Fire Authority refuted allegations of positive discrimination and fully backed the chief fire officer and his team. In a statement signed jointly by council leaders from the three main political parties, it said:
“Throughout the recruitment process we have carried out over the last couple of weeks, there were no barriers to white men applying for appointment. This approach, far from being ‘positive discrimination’, is actually only about trying to encourage applicants from those groups. It is a lawful and sensible approach for any employer to take if they want to ensure they are getting the best possible applicants from across the broader spectrum of the community for the jobs that are available.”
Avon Fire Authority went on to say that out of 1,300 application forms handed out during the recruitment activities, 79% of them were given to white men, and that once the application forms are received, everyone is treated on equal terms.
Avon Fire Authority went on to say: “We all want to see the best possible fire and rescue service in our area, and the best possible firefighters being employed. Let the chief fire officer get on with making sure that happens and avoid the media sideshow that starts when anyone mentions ‘political correctness’.”
The Chief Fire Officers’ Association gave its unequivocal backing to Avon Fire and Rescue Service. Charlie Hendry, CFOA vice president and lead on equality and diversity said: “CFOA is committed to encouraging fire and rescue services to adopt effective strategies for recruiting and managing a diverse workforce. Our workforce must reflect the communities they serve. ‘Have a go’ days are a wholly legitimate approach to attracting people, who might never have considered firefighting as a career.”
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