Most firefighters are white men. Wake County wants to change that :: WRAL.com

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Published: 2022-06-02 06:33:46 Updated: 2022-06-02 06:33:46

Posted June 2, 2022 6:33 a.m. EDT

By Nia Harden, WRAL reporter

Wake Forest, N.C. — A new effort is launching Thursday to hire more firefighters in Wake County while ensuring the new hires reflect the communities they serve.

Most firefighters in the United States are white men. According to the National Bureau of Labor, around 95% of firefighters are men and roughly 85% are white.

Wake County Fire Services reports 97% of their firefighters are men, and more than 90% were white, non-Hispanic firefighters in 2021.

The statistics don't include Raleigh and Cary, which have their own fire departments.

The first of six Wake County Fire Services career events will be held Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Alston-Massenburg Center at 416 North Taylor St. in Wake Forest.

Candidates will have a chance to interview on-site. If hired, they will receive a full salary and benefits while training at the Wake County Training Academy

The Wake County Board of Commissioners recently approved local firefighters to use over $2 million from the American Rescue Plan Act to fund a recruitment effort that focuses on hiring minorities.

Earlier this year, Raleigh firefighters protested, urging the city for higher pay to retain veteran firefighters and recruit new hires. In April, there were 58 vacant firefighter positions within the Raleigh Fire Department, an increase of 450% in two years.

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