When Pete Andrews became an Omaha firefighter in 1995, he says he was one of 42 black firefighters.
In 2016 that number has dwindled to 34, which is a little more than 5 percent of the force. And there are no black firefighters ranked above captain.
Andrews, who leads the Omaha Association of Black Professional Firefighters, says that’s a problem. He and other community leaders say black Omahans deserve more opportunities to become firefighters, and black firefighters deserve more opportunities for promotion.
“It’s a big pie, and we’d like a piece of pie to put our Cool Whip on, too,” Andrews said. “I prefer pie over crumbs.”