Millions granted to Sacramento Fire Department to increase diversity, amid allegations of racism
The Sacramento City Council last month unanimously approved an audit plan for the 2021-22 fiscal year that will assess diversity, equity and inclusion among city employees across various departments, including the Fire Department.
Council members recently followed that action by signing off on a $2.2 million budget allocation toward the Fire Department’s goal of diversifying its ranks.
Co-chair of the department’s Diversity Advisory Board Committee, Capt. Jaymes Butler, and First Chief Gary Loesch both expressed their hope to diversify their ranks and implement previous recommendations made by the committee prior to the new funding.
“I was pleased,” Butler told The Sacramento Bee. “The funding will allow the department to create a Diversity, Outreach & Recruitment Division. The division will have seven new Full Time Equivalents and the restoration of the paramedic internship program.”
The program addresses many of the recommendations made by the Diversity Board and plans to tackle key areas in recruiting a more diverse team including increased outreach and recruitment, pipeline hiring and internship programs, and an equity plan to tackle racial and gender diversity.
Chief Kim Lannucci is expected to oversee the new division, Butler said.
In March, the Fire Department was slammed with allegations of racism, hazing and harassment that led to an employee’s resignation.
Local 522, the union representing city firefighters, initially denied the allegations while awaiting the results of an internal investigation. As a result of their findings, all fire department employees were asked to undergo a discrimination training.
While around 32% of Sacramento’s population is white, the demographic is over-represented as 71% of the staff, according to a 2018 city audit. The report also found that just 4% of its employees were Black.
Loesch noted that the money approved by the City Council is under his jurisdiction for one year as of June 22.
This story was originally published July 1, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
