The country's firefighters are still trying to reach some sort of agreement with the requirements inherent to the profession of firefighters, also covering government guidelines related to the occupation of minorities and taking into account the rights of long-serving employees. The impact this will have on minority members depends largely on whether or not the minority firefighter is a black man or a black woman. Although an African-American male may occasionally encounter interpersonal situations with someone who is prejudiced, the sight of a black man as a member of a large municipal fire department is a common occurrence. When cases occur, such as a racist float in New York's Labor Day parade, the reaction of the authorities is swift and certain. The two firefighters who intervened were fired. This type of swift action confirms Floren's point that "the presence of African-American male firefighters is no longer new, and firefighters have had several decades to work on issues of racism" (p. 20). That's not to say that male firefighters don't still face specific racial issues, but those issues usually involve things like how many African Americans are promoted and get leadership positions, are they right to be in the fire department is no longer a question of According to Floren (1998), the type of problems facing minority male firefighters are represented by situations such as the contract negotiations concluded in Chicago earlier this year. After two and a half years of negotiations, a contract was agreed. by the Chicago City Council and the firefighters union (Corley, Edwards, 1998). However, many blacks and Latinos in the service were dissatisfied with the…middle of the paper…position of women in the service. the firefighters were actually qualified for the job, meaning they had the strength and stamina needed to do the job. However, at the risk of sounding politically incorrect, jobs that require strength and endurance are the only area where male biases may have some basis. Research in this area does not appear to address how female recruits performed on endurance tests compared to male recruits. It is a simple fact of nature that females typically do not have the same muscle mass as males. That doesn't mean a woman can't do the job. Many women are much fitter physically than many men; However, some men's skepticism towards some women is perfectly understandable when you consider that the man's life may soon depend on whether the woman is able to do the job and is physically capable of being a full member. team title.