WFAA
PLANO, Texas — Firefighters epitomize the term, “civil servants,” and it’s no different at Plano Fire Station No. 1.
Chief Brian Crawford cannot say enough about how proud he is of his department, but he admits there is always room to grow and adapt. As a part of Plano Fire-Rescue’s strategic plan, the chief is embarking on a plan to diversify his staff. “Out of the 250 applicants we had that took our last exam, about 79 percent were white or white male,” Crawford said.
He said that’s a problem as Plano grows more and more diverse by the day. Crawford’s department is 94 percent white. Of the 333 sworn firefighter-EMTs, 313 are white, three percent are Hispanic/Latino, 1.5 percent are black, and even fewer are Asian. “That does not reflect the community that we serve,” Crawford said. The chief is now talking with minority groups to tell them about opportunities at the Plano Fire- Rescue. He says ultimately only the best candidates will get the job, but is encouraging diversity in the candidate pool.
Full story: Plano fire chief: ‘We do not reflect the community we serve’