The end to Fireman Sam?

amigafan2003 said:
I assume then you support increasing BAME representation in public sector workplaces where the locality has a higher BAME proportion?
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Of course, as long as it is similarly implemented in area's that have a lower %

So i don't agree that a town that is 96% white should have 20% non white representation in their public sector for example.
 
Can't remember the last time I heard anyone say fireman it's usually the generic firefighter term round here.
 
More Americanisms, just happened to be watching this clip the other day, heading for an androgynous world.


People have nothing better to do with their time.
 
Kronos said:
The Commissioner of the London Fire Brigade thinks we should stop saying the word ‘fireman’ to encourage more women and BAME applicants.

Should we stop using the word? Would it really make a difference?

What on earth is a BAME?

Should we just stop using the term man?

Has the world gone mad?
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It's international women's Day today, should we all just become women?
 
terley said:
I would say that women are definitely less able firefighters.

And i would say if we are making an attempt to: "mirroring the community demography"

Then the representation of the public sector workforces should be:

86% white
7.5% Asian/Asian British
3.3% Black/African/Caribbean/Black British
2.2% Mixed/Multiple Ethnic groups
1.0% Other

Otherwise we won't have a "mirror", currently i believe that these figures are actually not favoring the majority in the slightest.

Although my last statement is anecdotal, the representation is factual based on government statistics.
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It would tend to depend on whether the women have passed the same tests etc surely? Not sure what the process is but if somebody who is not able to do the job manages to get through all of the application and probationary phases then you need to increase the bar.

In terms of the demographic information using a nationwide statistic isn't overly useful as no firefighter is going to work across the entirety of the Country. :et's use the London Borough of Southwark as an example, mainly because I work there but also because I have a sneaking suspicion that London Borough's are probably some of the areas where they're concerned about BAME applications:

39.7% White British
2.2% White Irish
0.1% White Gypsy or Irish Traveller
12.3% Other White
2% White & Black Caribbean
1.3% White & Black African
1% White & Asian
1.9% Other Mixed
2% Indian
0.6% Pakistani
1.4% Bangladeshi
2.8% Chinese
2.7% Other Asian
16.4% Black African
6.2% Black Caribbean
4.2% Other Black
0.8% Arab

So taking that demography into account it would be quite a mixed workforce if we're looking for a more representative group, now if for instance there are a lack of applications coming in from black African and black Caribbean communities you could be missing out on the benefits that come from having a workforce that shares commonality with the community.

You can drill that down even further, specifically in London there are areas that feature a disproportionately high population of a certain demography. Using the stats above there's a fair chance that a lot of the black Caribbean community live in close proximity for instance, so working on an even more local level than just Boroughs you might want to consider that in employment makeup.

I'm not saying that all workforces need to mirror the community they're in exactly but having at least some people who understand on a first hand basis the challenges, culture, and quirks of the community is important.

Just to clarify I'm not saying go out and hire a load of BAME people, however I am saying take some time to understand why those people aren't interested in applying for your jobs, in my view it's not about lowering the bar, it's about increasing the pool of applicants.
 
This stuff is so daft, why do we need to 'encourage' minorities or women to join? Anyone can join as it is, do you really care who is pulling you out of a fire or saving your building? I would rather someone passionate about the job and helping people were on the roster than someone that has had to be actively encouraged.
 
terley said:
Ignoring all stereotypes.. No 5ft albino lesbian muslim girl would be able to carry me out of a burning building.. Haggisman is right.

Also Firefighter Sam doesn't roll of the tongue like Fireman Sam does.
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As a 6ft3 Caucasian heterosexual male fire fighter in my experience its highly unlikely I'm going to be able to carry you out of a burning building on my own unless your next to the front door, the smoke is unusually thin or your 100lbs wet through. That's one reason we go in in teams of 2 or more.
Having worked with some smaller female fire fighters they have some advantages for the role, they tend to get another 10mins or more out of a tank of air and find it easier to squeeze into a wrecked car to look after the casualty
 
Diddums said:
Fireman Sam was a bender anyway, screw him.
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Fireman Sam is a Welsh creation - the actual programme is called "Sam Tan" which literally translates as "Sam Fire"

Therefore, thankfully, this is a non-issue.
 
Freebird101 said:
As a 6ft3 Caucasian heterosexual male fire fighter in my experience its highly unlikely I'm going to be able to carry you out of a burning building on my own unless your next to the front door, the smoke is unusually thin or your 100lbs wet through. That's one reason we go in in teams of 2 or more.
Having worked with some smaller female fire fighters they have some advantages for the role, they tend to get another 10mins or more out of a tank of air and find it easier to squeeze into a wrecked car to look after the casualty
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Consider me schooled, fair play bro keep up the good work.
 
I've been saying firefighters for 10 years is this news?

Ok I see the violent error of my ways with my firest attitude.
 
jubei said:
This stuff is so daft, why do we need to 'encourage' minorities or women to join? Anyone can join as it is, do you really care who is pulling you out of a fire or saving your building? I would rather someone passionate about the job and helping people were on the roster than someone that has had to be actively encouraged.
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If they aren't applying then it's hard to show the service is inclusive I assume. Sadly people will use the statistics badly.

I'm appreciative of all service staff armed/medical/fire/police, I don't care about their colour, gender or preferences. Sadly people seem to care more about how something is perceived over how it performs.
 
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