At least that is what the report states…kinda. I am jumping to the end of the article found here. According to the Houston Fire Department, it costs $500,000 to put a recruit through recruit school. Boy have I got a deal for the Houston FD. I know of a way to save them a ton of money, and no I am not talking about Geico. I think my department puts the cost at around $50,000 for a 16 week recruit school (full-time recruit school). Maybe someone added an extra zero? If not, I kinda feel as though I got cheated. Do they get their own personal fire engine?

That is besides the point.

The article is about a recruit who made some kind of racial slur and then promptly was told that his opinion was not needed or warranted.

“I heard he said that he wanted to work at an all-white station, all-white neighborhood, where he had to learn to speak Spanish,” said Capt. Otis Jordan.

I commend the Houston FD for their quick actions in terminating the recruits employment after finding out that the comments were indeed made by the recruit.

If you have not learned by now, you have to check your feelings at the door before you go to work. We aren’t paid for our opinion….man that would be nice for a guy like me though.

We have to treat everyone the same and that is the right thing to do anyways. Comments such as those mentioned above have no place in the fire service. It is guys like that who make us all look bad.

Two thumbs up to the Houston FD. Read the entire article here.