Rochester Fire: “Getting in Reps”
On civil rights and destroying Black homes
Jerrod Jones is the Rochester, New York, firefighter who sued that city and agreed to a settlement which results in his early retirement and a modest cash settlement.
The occurrence which made the case a media-meteor was his on-duty attendance at what has been called a Juneteenth Parody Party.
But in his complaint he also details a Rochester fire department practice which shows how the Black community is a target of systematic racism.
A key action to control and extinguish a fire is to allow hot gases to escape a burning structure. This is called “ventilating” and is often a hole cut in the roof as close as possible to the area on fire. The rapid release of large quantities of these gases stops fire spread and improves both visibility and survival for occupants and firefighters.
These ventilation holes are necessary for what are termed “working fires.” That expression denotes a fire clearly beyond the early stages and one that is advancing rapidly. Smaller fires, such as stove or mattress fires do not require a ventilation hole to be cut; opening windows will do the trick.
Jones detailed that in Rochester it is the custom to unnecessarily cut holes in the roofs of black homes as it affords an opportunity to hone skills. They even have a phrase to describe the practice: “getting in reps.”
According to the complaint, the holes are cut to “prepare for more dangerous situation[s] later in white neighborhoods.”
And here is the rationale:
“Firefighters rationalized their actions by asserting that poor and Black people failed to take care of their property anyway.”
Good luck finding a a better statement of stereotyped racism at work.
Because the suit was settled, Jones’ revelation remains an allegation though one he seems to have firsthand knowledge of.
His claim represents a blatant violation of the civil rights of black property owners in the city.
It is more significant than the Juneteenth party though not nearly as salacious.
At the very least it deserves a full investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice.
