Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/704553
JULY 20-26, 2016 UCW 9 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Fayetteville City Councilman Chalm- ers McDougald read an article in Up & Coming Weekly recently about retired Fayetteville Fire Chief Benny Nichols' efforts to create a fire service internship program 15 years ago. The concept was one whereby students at E.E. Smith High School, Fayetteville Technical Community College and Fayetteville State University would pursue a career in fire science. Nichols' idea resulted in the construction of the multi-million-dollar Fire Station 14 on Langdon Street in the heart of the African-American community. It was much more than a fire house. It con- tained classrooms and dormitories for student interns enrolled in the program. With the advent of internet stud- ies, the idea as Nichols envisioned it, never got off the ground. The program of classroom and online studies is still available to students at all Cumberland County high schools. But the hands-on elements never came to pass. According to Deputy Fayetteville Fire Chief Hieu Sifford, the program has not yet yielded an applicant who has been hired by the FFD – even though Nichols established what is now a $30,000 scholarship fund with the Cumberland Community Foun- dation. A year or so ago, the Langdon Street fire station was renovated into fire department headquarters, and a meeting room is still available for use as a community center. McDougald is as disappointed as anyone that Benny Nichols unique idea never developed as he envisioned. "Now we've got to try something else to recruit African Americans," said McDougald. Fewer than a dozen of Fayetteville's 331 firefighters are black, according to Fire Chief Ben Major. The department is re- cruiting now, and the hope is that young black men and women will apply. Ap- plications are only accepted during open enrollment, which is getting underway. Typically, as many as 400 people apply. Following physical agility and written tests as well as drug screening and back- ground checks, that number is usually reduced to 150 or so, according to Major. But only 30 can be enrolled in the train- ing academy at FTCC. Of that number, this time around only five firefighters will be hired. That's the number of retirees leaving the force during the next three months. There are no other vacancies. "We're always fighting a losing battle," said Major of the numbers game. What he characterizes as lack of inter- est among African Americans limits even further the likelihood of any blacks being hired this time. "We can't get them in the door until we get them on the doorstep," observed the chief. "We have to let peo- ple know who we are and that we want talented folks to apply," Major added. This is the first fiscal year in which graduates of a two-year technical school with associates degrees can earn an additional $1,500 a year over and above the starting salary of $33,280. Graduates with baccalaureate degrees earn an addi- tional $3,000, bringing the starting wage up to more than $36,000. Major says af- ter five years on the job a firefighter with a degree can expect to earn $42,000; after 10 years $48,000. Thanks to a new step plan, fire department employees receive guaranteed pay raises every year. And there are always opportunities for promotion. The fire chief believes a full- time recruiter, like the police department has, would greatly improve the agency's ability to more aggressively seek out candidates from under-represented populations. Chief Major is a graduate of E.E. Smith High School and Pembroke State University. He is African American. NEWS Fayetteville Seeks Black Fire- fighters by JEFF THOMPSON • A 54-hole stroke-play event. • Open Divisions plus Super Senior Division ighted after 36 holes. • All male amateur entrants must be 16 or older and reside in Cumberland County. • Past CC champions who are not golf professionals are eligible. • Golfers 50 years of age or older are eligible to participate in a Seniors' Flight, unless they declare to play in the Open or Championship ights. • Entry fee of $150.00. Includes: 3 rounds of golf, a practice round*, range balls, food, beverages, trophies and prizes.** • *Green fees only, cart not included. Practice rounds are limited to weekdays and after 1 p.m. on weekends, after paid entry is received by Robert Wilson, PGA. Please call (910) 483-0359 for tee time . • No preferred pairings. • Cypress Lakes Golf Course requires collared shirts and denim is prohibited. • Field Limited to 144 participants. Cypress Lakes Golf Course Gates Four Golf & Country Club Kings Grant Golf & Country Club Baywood Golf Course Stryker Golf Course Make checks payable to Cumberland County Golf Classic Cumberland County's Premier Golf Event! Fayetteville's Community Newspaper Proudly Sponsored by Early Birds **Register by Sept. 1st and Receive ONE FREE FOURSOME ROUND OF GOLF at all 5 Area Courses! (Green fees only. Carts not included.) Supporting the Kidsville News Literacy and Education Foundation (501C3 Non Prot) The fire chief believes a full-time recruiter, like the police department has, would greatly improve the agency's ability to more aggressively seek out candi- dates from under-represented populations.