Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

InvisibleBlueRobot t1_iscdao4 wrote

Interesting. Brings up a few questions:

  1. This could be an issue with photography, image selection and editing (picking photos and of white helping minorities and not realizing the bias).

  2. Or it could show low representation of minorities working in emergency services within these area.

  3. Or it could show that areas with higher minority positions are most impacted and may have highest needs in these emergencies. If support is coming from outside community.

Or perhaps it's a mix of all do these scenarios. All of these situations are potential issues.

It would be great if photo selection was unbiased, it would be great to have good representation in the emergency service work force. It would be unfortunate if minority communities are at most risk of facing serious natural disaster, but I believe that is true....

I'm guessing all are at least partially true.

You could even have situations where people work for emergency response company located out of state. There are organizations that specialize in these services and they are usually located outside of a common natural disaster areas.

Their hiring practices may be representative "locally", but not representative of the communities they are most likely to serve.

17

ckjm t1_ise5ur9 wrote

I work fire/EMS. During my recent paramedic schooling, three classes of roughly 120 total paramedics, only one was Black and another Native American. It was also largely male, and if I had to guess I'd say it was about 60-70% male. In my old service area the same was true. In my current service area the same is true. In the service area I'm looking at the same is true. In my state, there is not a large black population but there is a significant Native population, and my school catered to the country as a whole. White men certainly make up the majority of emergency personnel.

9

okblimpo123 t1_isddvyu wrote

I think this is a great take on this and this type of reasoning should be used for most things in life.

3

Youthmandoss t1_ise5zst wrote

All of these applied in Harvey cleanup.

Source: I'm a Harvey victim

2

MelissaMiranti t1_isdsogx wrote

It could also be that emergency services are better funded in areas with more white residents, while other areas have to make do without such aid.

1