Evansville Fire officials are forging ahead with a diversity and inclusion training program from the firefighters' union.
The move comes months after a fire inspector's use of a racist slur on the job pushed issues of race in the department into the headlines.
A diversity sub-committee set up by the Evansville Fire Department Merit Commission will undergo a five-hour virtual training next week with the International Association of Fire Fighters, Fire Chief Mike Connelly announced at a commission meeting Tuesday afternoon.
It's the first step in a three-step process developed by the IAFF. The program costs the city nothing, instead paid for by firefighters' union dues. The IAFF program consists of three separate modules, Larry Zuber, president of the Evansville Professional Firefighters Local 357, explained in an earlier interview.
The first module focuses on training department officials on the best methods for recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce.