Cultural Diversity In The Fire Service Criminology Essay

Cultural Diversity In The flak catcher servicing Criminology EssayTodays society is much to a greater extent complicated than it eer has been. The change from even ten years ago is considered drastic. Workplace smorgasbord is a springy compvirtuosont to each piece of work, whether its private, public, state, federal, or any pertly(prenominal) entity. Merriam-Websters Dictionary defines novelty as the condition of having or be make up of various elements variety especially the inclusion of divers(a) mountain (as spate of different races or lasts) in a group or scheme (Merriam-Webster).Workers in todays society argon protected by the civilised Rights travel of 1964, which protects employees and job appli cig bettets from dissimilitude by employers. It protects from acts of favoritism via race, g reverseer, ethnic group, age, personality, education, and more, which is enforced by the unify States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC applies to almost employers with at least 15 or more employees. The EEOC headquarters located in Washington D.C., along with its 53 field offices throughout the United States peck investigate strips, while also providing other serves such as statistics, guides and templates for EEO surveys, outreach and education, enforcement and litigation, and initiatives.Benefits of workplace revolution are countless, exactly the following are a few that standout. Workplace kind encompasses a three-dimensional shape up, meaning that it is exceed for the employer, employee, and together as a whole. It increases adaptability, which means that employees with diverse backgrounds finish bring together together their experiences, talents, and suggestions to split up the organization, which encompasses the three-dimensional approach (Greenberg). Within this three-dimensional approach includes a benefit callight-emitting diode variety of viewpoints. By utilizing the variety of employees that you befool in your workplace you bottomland meet the needs of the business and the customers more efficaciously (Greenberg). When discussing workplace mixture a problem that can often follow is a breakdown in communication. While it is important that employers staff people of all different races and ethnic groups, it moldiness be taken into good depart that on that point may be a language barrier. Communication is vital for any business or organization to properly function, so it is in the take up interest of the employer to make sure that whatever sayation is being dispersed, is being done so that everyone has an equal generaliseing.A good way to establish the effectiveness of workplace diversity is to assess and evaluate your diversity serve. This can be accomplished by an employee satisfaction survey, and ordain exemplify the management team with obstacles that are present along with any mental strain _or_ system of government that needs to be added or eradicated. When choosing a workplace diversity course of study it moldiness be comprehensive, attain qualified, and measureable. In purchase tack to do so, employer and employee, along with employee and employee must cohesively work together. The contrive needs to establish the needs for the whole business, and non just a certain few who might have the most say so in developing such plan. Second, the plan must be attainable. In order to do this, you need to set benchmarks or goals to reach in a certain timeframe. Creating an attainable plan is naturalistic and makes sure that every function indoors it is accomplished. Lastly, the plan must be measurable. In order to do this you can look at similar workplace diversity plans for businesses a desire and compare and contrast benchmarks and reports. A measurable plan is one that is quantifiable, assessable, finite, and verifiable. In order to make sure you incorporate all of this into your plan, a simple rubric can be followed, which is S.M.A .R.T. (Creating S.M.A.R.T. Goals).Specific Who, what, when, where, why? measurable Tracking progress toward the attainment of goals.Attainable Set incremental goals to swear outer you reach milestones.Realistic Objectives to which you are both willing and able to work. by the way Timeframes are required in order to reach goals, without any timeframe there would be unsatiscomponenty performance.Workplace diversity is very important for a successful business. By practicing effective workplace diversity with the simple guidance provided, you will not only produce a better workplace for your employees but employees will also produce a better workplace for the employer.Diversity in RecruitmentA cc6 International Association of energize Fighters (IAFF) report, titled Achieving and Retaining a Diverse Workforce, analyzed the factors that hinder diversity in the burn down service. The honourings in the report were establish on a publications review and statistical analysis. The writings review prevented proposed solutions from research to the diversity problem. The statistical analysis was created after surveying a number of divisions astir(predicate) their diversity and enlisting practices. The statistics were then used to validate the claims made in the literature (Fox, Hornick Hardin, 2006).Overall, the report found that there were five main obstacles to minority recruitment. They are listed below1. Most departments are passive on the issue. Diversity is not some involvement that will happen unless departments are engaged in the community and the recruitment process.2. Hiring processes do not measure all required job skills. If hiring processes counseling on one peculiar(prenominal) attribute (i.e. physical vs. cognitive abilities) than the chance as a whole will not be observed.3. all requirements for education, certification, or experience will hurt minorities. Often, traditional hiring pools score better in these areas than minorities.4. Depa rtments do not know how to reach the desired groups. utile methods of recruitment to reach specific groups are discussed below.5. Departments do not make known a clear message of diversity. A diversity message should be used consistently from recruitment, to date of hire, to trading with the department.The study found that there were eight methods of recruitment that correlated directly to substantial recruitment of minorities. distributively department used these in some sort of combination, so these are not necessarily listed in order of effectiveness (Fox, Hornick Hardin, 2006).1. Word of mouth. This will probably be the most effective way to recruit for any job. However, educe departments can have members from the targeted group in their communities.2. lump advertising. Formal advertising could be print advertisements, radio spots, flyers, etc. These messages should be enjoin at the desired group.3. Direct mail. Mailings can be used to inform candidates of deadlines and rates in the hiring process. This takes the burden of them and they will not miss a step.4. Cadet/Explorer programs. These programs will help educate children and newfangled adults about the possibility of the usher out service as a career. This will help them compete with traditional applicants, since they often do have these opportunities.5. naturals stories. The department can partner with local media outlets to produce stories about how the department value diversity. This would provide encouragement for minority applicants.6. Diversity messages. Departments should have written diversity messages. These messages can be used in advertisement and recruitment materials. This would repay the candidates belief that the department values diversity.7. Attend churches, cultural events, job fairs. This is the best way to get a message out to community to go out in it. Recruiters can take diversity messages to sell employment opportunities to minority candidates.8. Candidate prepara tion. Offer informational sessions that will help minority plan for interviews, written tests, and physical agility tests. Do not allow these sessions to be filled with traditional applicants.This overview is by no means an exhaustive drumhead of the information contained in the report. There is much more knowledge contained in the seventy-one page document. Fire service administrators could study this publication to run into how it applies to these specific diversity problems (Fox, Hornick Hardin, 2006)Women in The Fire ServiceWomen in the educe service dates back longer than anyone may realize. The first known womanish in the United States chivvy service was a slave from refreshing York named Molly Williams, who was said to have fought nets during the early 1800s. The first all-woman forest cutfighting conspiracy was assembled in California in 1942 and the first female in magnetic north Carolina (Winston Salem) was Sandra Forcier in 1973. In a career that is traditional ly dominated by men, white men especially, is seeing a change among the faces representing the awaken service. accord to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are approx 11,800 women nationwide are industrious as career fire fighters and of those 4.5% are white, 2.9% are b overlook or African American. Women comprise about 4 percent of the volunteer fire service, an estimated 32,000 members (Wiling, 2012).Women are found in all ranks of the fire service, from recruit relief pitcher up to chief of department. Women fire chiefs lead organizations ranging in size from lesser volunteer departments up to those that protect cities the size of Madison, Wisconsin county departments such as Cobb County, tabun and comparable agencies within the wildland fire service. There is no such thing as a typical woman firefighter. Women firefighters come from all backgrounds, races and ethnicities. They may be single, partnered, married, divorced, or widowed. They may be 62 and weigh 200 pounds, o r 51 and weigh 110 pounds. They may have no children, or be mothers or grandmothers. They may be as young as 18 or as old as 70. They may have a high-school education or Ph.D. What this diverse array of women firefighters has in common is their dedication to their work and their commitment to serving their communities through the fire service (Brenda Berkman, Teresa M. Floren, Linda F. Willing, 1999).With all that being said and situations ever ever-changing, there are many issues that are still a major concern for women in the fire service. To name a few of the issues, sexual harassment, sleeping and showering facilities and preventive gear still pose a problem for women. Because of the lack of recruiting the close of the firehouse physical agility testing that favors men and the lack of accommodations within fire mails for female firefighters makes it hard for females to even want to accomplish their dream. So what can be done to help the process for recruiting and hiring more women for the fire service?Have a prerecruitment checklistThe application and testing processPolicy Development and ReviewRecruit TrainingFire station Facilities and Firefighter Protective Gear.So, as you can tell women do be to have a harder time joining fire departments, but like all other things in history, its slowly moving forward and being more acceptable. Good fire training creates a positive environment for new employees, modifys the skills of current firefighters, and leads a fire department safely and increasingly into the future. Bad fire training or none at allthreatens the arctic of all firefighters, reduces morale, particularly harms women firefighters chances of success, and violates the departments prime directive to provide the best contingent protection for the community it serves.Cultural Awareness in the CommunityThe cultural diversity in the communities that we serve is constantly changing and there is no way to stop that. We, as professionals in the fire service, must find ways to adapt and learn about these new cultures in order to effectively serve the community. Failing to do so can go away in a decrease in productivity and a painful reputation of your department.There are several ways that this can be accomplished however, the first and most important one begins with us. We must understand that certain cultures have different values and beliefs than our own and we must be able to tolerate these differences. Showing respect for that culture is the first step in doing so. This must be shown not just verbally, but also in the methods by which we conduct ourselves. A persons body language can be a good insight to their feelings about a particular situation. Not showing any judgment is another big factor when relations with a different culture. Stay away from any form of evaluation and try to explain things as safe or unsafe, or else of right or wrong. We must also show sympathy by putting ourselves into their shoes. Looking at s omething through their point of view can help us get a better understanding of how or why they do something. Lastly, we must stay focused on the end goal of breaking through a cultural barrier. There will be times where this may get very difficult but we cannot allow frustration to interfere.Although changing our attitudes and following these tips will help, they may sometimes not be enough. This is where training on a particular culture may be necessary. The training can include anything from learning about how the culture works, including any activities that they may consider taboo, to how to communicate with the members effectively.Fire Service Court Cases Involving Cultural DiversityThe fire service, like all other companies, businesses, and corporations, has undergone drastic changes in its ranks with the push to have a more diverse service, this push mainly imputable to the passage of the apostrophizely Rights Act of 1964. The mashly Rights Act of 1964 prohibits outlawed m ajor forms of discrimination against racial, ethnic, national and religious minorities, and women (The Civil Rights Act 1964), and has led to many butterfly consequence lawsuits against fire organizations for their displace to the law. The majority of civil rights violation cases brought against a fire organization are for the discrimination against someone, or a group of people. cardinal major cases that have been brought against a fire organization are the United States v. metropolis of refreshed York, which was an employment discrimination case, and Ricci v. DeStefano, which was a landmark discrimination case dealing with firefighter promotions. With the diversity of the fire service changing the inclusion of women in the fire service has increased, which has brought with it violations of the Civil Rights Act, dealing with sexual harassment. A case that was widely publicized was the lawsuit case of Michelle Maher v. The City of Fresno, which illustrated the burden that can be placed on a fire organization for violating the law. The fire service has been changing over the last thirty to forty years, with the inclusions of different types of minorities that have been incoming the fire service. With the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the court cases that have been brought against the fire service for violating their rights, the inclusion of diversity in the fire service has been brought to the avant-garde of the organizations issues.Discrimination cases brought against a fire organization brought by the Civil Rights Act cause negative public opinions of the entire fire service. Discrimination, falls under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and refers to the interposition or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit (USLegal Definitions). There have been both landmark cases brought against a fire organization with the subject of racial discrimination, the United States v. City of New York, and Ricci v. DeStefano. The United States v. City of New York was as case brought against the New York Fire Department, involving discrimination of blacks and Hispanic firefighter recruits. The allegation incriminate the City of New York of using tests that were unlawful, by changing the scores authorized for hiring entry level firefighters, leading to a noticeable disparate stir on minorities. The metropolis lost the case which awarded money, jobs, seniority, and noneconomic damages to individuals who were harmed by the Citys discrimination practices (DOJ). Ricci v. DeStefano was a reverse discrimination case that brought notice to a fire organization discriminating against non-minority employees, where firefighters mainly white firefighters were not given a promotion due to there being any African Americans able to pass a promotion test (Court). The court ruled in favor of the m ainly white firefighters leading to the promotion of many of them, and having to lessen paying over 5 trillion dollars to the fire fighter plaintiffs. With the lack of understanding the law of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and that the law protects both minorities and non-minorities against discrimination, led to millions of dollars spent in settlements, causing hardships on the fire organization involved, and the city they incorporate.With the increase in women firefighters there has been sex discrimination cases brought against the fire service, mostly coming in the form of sexual harassment. Sexual Harassment is a form of discrimination, under the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of grammatical gender (The Civil Rights Act 1964). The case of Michelle Maher v. The City of Fresno brought the subject of gender discrimination in the fire service to the front page news. Maher was a new firefighter recruit in recruit school and was told by a superior th at she would not be successful in the fire service because she was a mother, and was not given the same opportunities as male recruits to improve her test scores (Michelle Maher vs. City of Fresno) which led to her being asked to resign or be expelled. Maher brought a sexual harassment suit against the city of Fresno, California, where the court found that she was discriminated against, leading to a settlement between Maher and the City of Fresno amounting to 2.5 million dollars. This settlement brought financial hardship to the City of Fresno and the fire organization, which could had been a dead mail if the laws accompanied with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 were fully understood.The fire service is not separate from other companies when it comes to the liability that is involved with not following the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Those that have not followed the law have been burdened with court case lawsuits against them that have led to major settlements, some in the millions. Two court cases that have been brought against the fire service were the United States v. City of New York, which was an employment discrimination case, and Ricci v. DeStefano, which was a landmark discrimination case dealing with firefighter promotions. Both court cases being seen as landmark cases due to the scope of discrimination that these fire organizations were run. With the increase of women being involved in the fire service violations of the Civil Rights Act, dealing with sexual harassment and gender discrimination, there have been court cases brought against fire organizations dealing with this subject, one being, Michelle Maher v. The City of Fresno. This case was widely publicized because it illustrated that some fire services were not welcoming of women being involved in their organization. The fire service has been changing over the last thirty to forty years, with the inclusions of different types of minorities that have been entering the fire service. With the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the court cases that have been brought against the fire service for violating their rights, the inclusion of diversity in the fire service has been brought to the forefront of the organizations issues, and when an organization or city does not follow the rules set by the law burdens are felt through the millions of dollars of settlements that are given.