When Sacramento city firefighter Waris Gildersleeve heard that his colleague Desmond Lewis was resigning, he knew it would have an impact. That’s because Gildersleeve and Lewis were part of the 2.4% of the department that is African American, a perplexing distinction within a force that’s more than 580 firefighters strong. When representation is that off-kilter in one of the most diverse cities in the nation, even a single resignation has ripple effects.
Now, Gildersleeve has also resigned from being a firefighter, though he’s still employed as a fire inspector. A 15-year veteran of the department, Gildersleeve says the reason he no longer wanted to be working in station houses involves the same worries Lewis had when he put in his papers: Some Captain-level supervisors don’t address bullying, harassment, racist remarks or extreme unprofessionalism. And in certain cases, according to Gildersleeve, Lewis and others, they’re personally involved in the behavior.
(SN&R) – Desmond Lewis wanted to be a firefighter since the day he graduated college. He imagined it was a job where people pushed themselves to their physical limits while using camaraderie and teamwork to save lives and protect the community. Raised in the Sacramento region, he had no doubt where he wanted to meet that challenge.
Desmond Lewis, a member of the city of Sacramento Fire Department, resigned on Jan. 31.
After graduating from the fire academy, Lewis was hired full-time by the city of Sacramento Fire Department. He didn’t just join the ranks of a large force, but also became part of a small cadre of African-American firefighters.
Sacramento leaders are demanding answers from the fire department after a Black firefighter quit over what he called a toxic culture of racism and bullying.