You may recall that I blogged about the Denver Fire Department’s plan to dumb down the firefighters test because no black applicant has been hired in five years. Well, I spoke to Fire Chief Larry Trujillo last month, and he said that’s not what he wants to do. I also spoke to a few people at the consulting firm hired to develop a new test, and according to my lay ears, that’s exactly what they plan to do.
I spent about an hour on a conference call with three people, and after all their talking, jargon-dropping, and obfuscating, I came to this conclusion: they plan to dumb down the test. I requested a copy of the written portion of a sample test, and the request was denied. The same consulting outfit created new tests for fire departments in my area, including Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties, after blacks complained. I hope those fire chiefs will agree to an interview.
I don’t know where this story will lead, but I’m compelled to find out why blacks pass these tests but not the others. What is excluded or changed? What skills are no longer being tested, and are these skills vital to the job? Playing investigative journalist can be fun. 
I’ll keep you posted.
Addendum: I’d like to hear from firefighters willing to comment publicly. Or you may contact me via e-mail. If you’re not a firefighter, have you taken the written portion of the employment test? If so, I want to hear from you, too. For everyone else, insightful comments about the tests specifically or this trend in general are welcome.
Update: Quitters never win, and winners never quit. Or something like that. Perhaps he’s quitting to start his own business. 
