Lafd Analysis

LAFD Case Analysis

Case Background
LAFD was founded in late 19 century and more than 90% of the firefighters were men. By 1996, Fire Chief Bamattre was hired by city mayor with intentions to increase the number of minorities and women in the LAFD. In 2007, there were only 27 women actually fighting fires in Los Angeles. According to the case, one main issue coming follow the event, gender discrimination.
Diversity discriminations were the internal issue of LAFD for so many years. A heavy price has had paid by LAFD for the lawsuits. In 2007, women constituted 2.6 percent, numbering approximately 95 out of 3,562 firefighters of the LAFD. However, according to an audit by the city’s personnel department in 2006, females accounted for 56 percent of all multimillion-dollar lawsuits between 1996 and 2005. Not only gender discrimination cost that much money, but also other discriminations spent millions of LAFD’s money, such as hazing and age discrimination. In2007, Captain Lime won 3.75 million on filed a reverse retaliation discrimination lawsuit against the LAFD. In 2008, LAFD paid 1.6 million in settlement to two captains who filed a reverse racial discrimination lawsuit. Bressler, age 65, and Mellinger, age 54, filed lawsuits that alleged six LAFD supervisors harassed and retaliated against them, forcing them to retire. Bressler won 1.73 million and Mellinger was awarded 350 thousand as the result.
Management Strategies Analysis
Conflict management has three strategies: 1) Lose-Lose; 2) Win-Lose / Lose-Win; 3) Win-Win.
For LAFD, its discrimination issue causes the situation obviously on stage one, lose-lose management strategy. For instance, the LAFD has been work really hard on increasing women firefighters for many years. Each fire station established clean wonderful women locker room. But only 27 women were actually using it, rest of they were empty. Besides, women firefighter like Kelly, feels pretty uncomfortable at her work place that has been experienced sexual harassment and unfair treatment.
Because of lack of management, a stage two, lose-win, happened to LAFD. On one hand, firefighter such as Bressler contributes half of his life on his fire fighting career, but finally he was forcing to retire and he has to suit the LAFD. On the other hand, LAFD spent money on training firefighters, pay them salaries, and finally LAFD has had to pay millions on their settlements too. Retire as normally and retire by paying millions dollar, LAFD pushes firefighters to the second way.
The best management strategy for LAFD is the third stage, win-win, on its situation. LAFD could make a specific and strictly rules for its management. For example, firefighters who make sexual harassment on others will be fired right away instead of turn a blind eye to it. Besides, for instance, LAFD can set up an organization to help resolving all kind of discriminations. The organization could let all firefighters to elect members who are just; no matter they are Black, Asian, Latin, men, or women. When the discrimination happens, the organization can take the case and survey it. All those hypothetical strategies are mean to build a cooperation relationship between LAFD and firefighters. Only establish a cooperation-cooperation relationship can LAFD earn a win-win situation.
Environment of Justice According to the Theory of Justice and deceleration of human rights by John Rawls, a justice should ignore gender, age, status, education, wealth, position in life about oneself will result in justice. But in LAFD case, some manager is not being justice to firefighters. The Cornell University’s Institute for Women and Work in the Institute of Labor Relations School showed a research that almost half of all female firefighting candidates passed the physical ability test, but more than half of all fire departments never hired a female. It is unjust and unethical to female. LAFD department set the training goal and physical ability test for female as same as male. As people know, female have to do even hard to reach the stander than male do, but they didn’t have the same opportunity compared with male, which is no fair.

Suggestion Necessary for Improving
LAFD has been badly affected by its discrimination culture. LAFD could reduce cost on lawsuits effectively by improving its management. Building cooperation-cooperation relationship with all firefighter is one of the options to deal with discrimination events. Besides, declares a more strictly rules, provides equitable work environment and opportunities are other ways to change the situation. There are so many ways to better LAFD’s management strategies. What they need to do is step forward to work on it instead of waiting for lawsuits.

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[ 1 ]. Patricia Robbins & Stephen McGuire, Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD): Diversity Ignites Discrimination. Oct2, 2009, 4-7
[ 2 ]. Patricia Robbins & Stephen McGuire, Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD): Diversity Ignites Discrimination. Oct2, 2009, 10
[ 3 ]. Patricia Robbins & Stephen McGuire, Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD): Diversity Ignites Discrimination. Oct2, 2009, 11-15
[ 4 ]. Patricia Robbins & Stephen McGuire, Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD): Diversity Ignites Discrimination. Oct2, 2009, 7
[ 5 ]. Patricia Robbins & Stephen McGuire, Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD): Diversity Ignites Discrimination. Oct2, 2009, 13
[ 6 ]. Patricia Robbins & Stephen McGuire, Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD): Diversity Ignites Discrimination. Oct2, 2009, 16