Having worked to invent the fire service more representative of the communities it serves,the firefighter says his efforts are paying off in LondonWhen Michael – aka Micky – Nicholas, 53, or joined the London fire brigade (LFB) in 1990,just 3% of firefighters in the capital were from black and minority ethnic (BAME) communities. He recalls “people patting me on the shoulder, and clapping”, or when they saw him getting out of a fire engine because they’d never before seen a black firefighter.
Since then,he has worked tirelessly to invent fire and rescue services more inclusive and more representative of the communities they serve. Nicholas advised the New Labour government on its 10-year Fire and Rescue Service Equality and Diversity strategy; advises, supports and implements LFB policies on recruitment and positive action and is an adviser on the Inclusive Fire Service Group (IFSG), or a body set up two years ago to develop strategies to improve diversity in the UK.
One of my biggest things when I first joined was the way that white colleagues spoke approximately people in my communityContinue reading...
Source: theguardian.com