American Fire Fighters demoted for not speaking Spanish

[EMT City Administrator]

http://www.katu.com/news/3634401.html

SALEM, Ore. - Some English-speaking firefighters are losing their jobs because of an Oregon state law that requires them to be bilingual.

The Department of Forestry enacted a law three years ago that requires them to be bilingual, but this year they're actually enforcing it.

2002 was such a devastating wildfire season, contractors were scrambling to find firefighters.

Hispanics often filled their needs on the fire lines.

Jim Walker of the Department of Forestry said "what we do know is 85 percent of the crew make-up is of Hispanic decent."

But many of the Hispanic fire fighters do not speak English. Walker says the language barrier is a concern.

Those concerns led the state to draft a new rule that all firefighting bosses speak English, and the languages of crew members who don't speak English.

Jaime Pickering, a squad boss overseeing 20 firefighters, says the rule means "job losses for Americans. The white people."

Because of the state's language requirement, Pickering can no longer work as a crew boss and supervise 20 firefighters, he can only manage a squad of four.

Pickering says that "if you have one Spanish guy on the crew, as an English crew boss, you can no longer be a crew boss, you have to step back to a squad boss, which is a demotion."

While the state made the rule change in 2003, it decided to strictly monitor the law this year as Hispanics continue to fill fire lines.

Jim Walker says "our main concern is that they are safe, and they are in a safe environment, and a lot of that deals with communication."

Manuel Franco is a Hispanic contractor for fire crews. He says he thinks the state's rule is necessary for worker safety.

"I think that's good, because that's for safety purpose," Franco says. "If there's a rock rolling down, everybody should understand that."

However, Manuel did say he felt the situation would improve if everyone spoke English. "We're living here. We should speak the language."

Jim Walker ponders the possibility that all fire crew members should be required to speak English, instead of having bilingual crew leaders.

"If it comes down to a safety issue, and it's determined that's the only way we can have people safely on an incident, then yes," Walker said.

Both Oregon state officials and those in the firefighting business say they do not think there are 'that many' illegal immigrant workers in the fire crews.

They say it is more a case of legal workers who do not speak English.

[jmp6753]

How ridiculous. Just another example of a stupid fix. Why not address the problem? If you are in the US of A, you should have to speak english. If I travel outside of the US, I expect to be able to communicate minimally in the language of where ever I am. If I chose to live there, I better learn the language.

I dont want to see qualified crew bosses be demoted because they cant speak english. Why not suspend the ones speaking spanish until they can speak english?

[Kaisu]

well.. I guess those guys who want to be bosses need to learn Spanish - just like the Spanish speakers that want to be bosses need to learn English. Changing times call for changing skills.. what if there was a new type of fire fighting equipment that came out ? Would it be unreasonable for the State to require that the boss needs to learn the piece of equipment? How is this different?

[Richard B the EMT]

I know I've mentioned this elsewhere on EMT City. Due to my ethnic, religious, and ancestral background, I should be able to speak German, Hebrew, Polish, Russian, and Yiddish.

Through school training, I should be able to speak Spanish, and "binary mathematics". My detractors would have you believe I need to learn English.

However...

I only speak English, Noo Yawk variety!

[mediccjh]

Welcome to America, speak f--king English! My ancestors learned the language and assimilated, no reason they can't!!!

F--king liberals.

[Scaramedic]

Once again do you see why I hate crossing the border into Oregon!!

[Kaisu]

Welcome to America, speak f--king English! My ancestors learned the language and assimilated, no reason they can't!!!

F--king liberals.

such reasoned discourse... your ancestors also bled patients and owned slaves... why don't you

[JPINFV]

I'm surprised that this isn't coming out of Via-reconquesta's Los Angeles.

[Scaramedic]

You might want to drop the liberal history book there Kaisu. Mediccjh is from an Irish background. During a large portion of American history the only people hated more than blacks were the Irish. You ever heard the term 'beat you like a redheaded stepchild' or the term 'paddy wagon' both Irish slurs that are still used today.

P.S. Most Irish came after the end of slavery.

[ccmedoc]

You know..I seriously doubt the Mexican government would mandate that their employees learn English or get fired if the roles were reversed. I believe that if you reside in a country, you should speak the language native to that country..at least enough to function.

Thats why I dont live in Canadia or Newfoundland...I cant make heads or tales of those languages..especially the Newfies.... :shock: