Diversity and the Fire Service

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are three words that have quickly risen priority lists at fire departments across the world in recent years. While most agree on the importance of having a diverse and inclusive workforce, what do those words actually mean in practice for the fire service? Why has DEI increasingly become such an emphasis, and what does success in this area for the fire service ultimately look like? On this podcast we ask Kwame Cooper, who after 38 years with the Los Angeles City Fire Department, returned home to New York to become FDNY's chief diversity and inclusion officer last November (3:55). Then, on a new Code Corner, NFPA Engineer Brian O'Connor answers questions about requirements in NFPA 855 for mobile energy storage systems (43:16).   LINKS:  Drexel University research project on DEI in the fire service Urban Fire Forum position statement on DEI in the fire service