Orange Cty Haz-Mat member claims racism

[Ga-Lin 86]

The Times Herald Record reported today that "The only active black member of the 30 person volunteer Orange Cty HazMat response team has filed a discrimination complaint against the Cty Fire Training Center, alleging the Cty Fire Coordinator prevented him from taking training courses because of his skin color."

The complaint was filed in March with the state Division of Human Rights. It includes a sworn affidavit from the Hazmat supervisor who stated that when informed of the complaint the Cty Fire Coordinator, who is white, referred to the individual as looking like a gorilla & used racial slurs to further describe the individual.

Both the Cty Fire Coordinator & Cty Emergency Services Commissioner referred all questions to the Cty attorney. The Cty mouthpiece responded to the complaint in July, saying the claim was baseless since (get this) the Hazmat team is not a fire company or fire department & therefore can't file a complaint under the state human rights law. He declined further comment. The Hazmat supervisor, who is white, is the Cty Deputy FIRE Coordinator.

The article goes on to allude a$$ covering, finger pointing, blame shifting & accusations of attempted intimidation.

The member states that he was left off the list for training seminars at the state FIRE Academy in 2008 & 2009, despite submitting all the proper paperwork on time. The member finally stated "the only thing we want is to work."

[99subi 121]

Interesting

[calhobs 110]

Its sad that this still goes on in the fire service or in any type of service.

[16fire5 693]

What's sad is that the county continues to maintain a hazmat team when you have a federal fire department in the county well staffed and equipped. Training level is not even a question.

[Ga-Lin 86]

What's sad is that the county continues to maintain a hazmat team when you have a federal fire department in the county well staffed and equipped. Training level is not even a question.

What Federal Dept. West Point? Stewart Air Base? Otisville Correctional?

[mfc2257 464]

The VA

[IzzyEng4 427]

What's sad is that the county continues to maintain a hazmat team when you have a federal fire department in the county well staffed and equipped. Training level is not even a question.

If I am understanding you correctly since there is a "federal hazmat team" in the area, the county should get rid of theirs?

Since I work in an area that has both a federal military sub base base and two private industrial fire departments (Electric Boat and Pfizer) I can tell you one thing, these departments are not required by their mandates to provide service outside of their response area (basically their property). They are in charge of their response area first and foremost and also they do respond mutual aid for the reason of begin "good neighbors". What happens if the VA has an incident at the same time (granted that is a long shot) on their own property and another breaks out in the county? You think they are going to drop everything and go to the other incident? No they won't because they are bound by thier mandates to protect their property first.

Where I am employed, we are part of a regional team called the CERRIT (Connecticut Eastern Region Response Integrated Team) which is made up of career, private, private industrial and volunteer departments throughout the region. We all get the same training and also depending on our specialty service we are assigned certain apparatus and equipment. EB, Sub Base Fire and Pfizer are part of the CERRIT unit as they are well equipped because of the hazards they can / will encounter on their own properties. If there is an incident where I work and another the breaks out else where, well obviously we have to protect our response area first.

Now having that said and not knowing how Orange County's team is set up, maybe they should look at creating a regional team to include the federal departments, as well as any industrial private departments into the fold. Anyone that has actually worked a wide scale HAZMAT incident knows it takes a lot of personnel to actually operate, contain and perform decontamination at these incidents. You just can't rely on on entity just to perform HAZMAT just because they are a federal department, have them staffed 24/7 and expect them to show up upon request. Basically a better combined response system needs to be put into place for the common good.

Here's the link to the CERRIT site: http://www.nlcfca.org/cerrit.htm

As for getting back to the OP, if this bias claim is truthful and the coordinators were actively discriminating regardless if they "were joking around", there is no room for that in this day and age. They need to be removed permanently from not only the county level but also from their home department.

[tdc202 0]

Just to clarify too the VA is in Dutchess County and one in Westchester County.

[IzzyEng4 427]

Just to clarify too the VA is in Dutchess County and one in Westchester County.

My bad if I messed up, not familiar with what is out your way.

[hudson144 150]

If you are denied something based on race you need to step up and fight the fight. As i mentioned to Daryl its not an easy thing to do but its a must for all. Best of luck to him,jjc

[JetPhoto 626]

I have known Daryl for 20 years, this guy would give you the shirt off his back or a roof over your head (as he does right now to a fellow member on this board). He is a very smart person that goes after any training he can get. He is out for justice for him and others so everyone has the same opportunities.

I don't have to wish him luck because he is not the type of person to make this stuff up.

Jim