Consultants cite racism in North Carolina fire department

WINSTON-SALEM, NC (AP) — Racism exists inside a North Carolina fire department, but a consulting group looking into allegations of discrimination by Black firefighters says it heard no complaints that the chief himself is racist.

The Charlotte-based consulting company blames racial and cultural tensions within the Winston-Salem Fire Department in part on demographics, with white rural firefighters lacking experience in working with Black people.

The report found a strong perception that discipline is disproportionately handed down based on race, and social media posts aren’t helping.

The Black firefighters group says the chief and some of his captains should go in order to heal what they call a “festering wound.”