how ethnic cultural and religious customs conflict with...

Cultural and Religious Customs 1

Running head: ETHNIC CULTURAL AND RELIGIOUS CUSTOMS

How Ethnic Cultural and Religious Customs Conflict with Community Risk Reduction

Programs Offered by South Metro Fire Rescue Authority

Randall A. Whipple

South Metro Fire Rescue Authority, Centennial, Colorado

September 2009


CERTIFICATION STATEMENT

I hereby certify that this paper constitutes my own product, that where the language of others is

set forth, quotation marks so indicate, and that appropriate credit is given where I have used the

language, ideas, expressions, or writings of another.

Signed: _______________________________________ Randall A. Whipple


Abstract

Providing effective Community Risk Reduction (CRR) programs to the citizens living in one of

the fastest growing regions of the nation can be challenging. The problem was South Metro Fire

Rescue Authority (SMFRA) had not evaluated how cultural and religious beliefs of the ethnic

minority groups conflict with CRR programs offered by SMFRA. The purpose of this Applied

Research Paper (ARP) is to evaluate how cultural and religious customs of the ethnic minority

groups conflict with CRR programs offered by SMFRA. The Evaluative Research Method was

used to answer the following questions (a) what ethnic groups live within SMFRA and what are

the growth rates of each group, (b) how effectively are the SMFRA CRR programs meeting the

needs of the ethnic communities within the district, (c) what are the cultural customs of each

ethnic group that conflict with CRR programs, (d) what are the religious customs of each ethnic

group that conflict with CRR programs, (e) how can SMFRA reduce or eliminate conflicts

between the cultural and religious customs of the ethnic communities and the CRR programs

offered by SMFRA? Data confirms that, since 2000, Asians and Hispanics have both

experienced growths rates of over one percent of the total SMFRA residential population. Whites

have declined by almost one percent and the remaining groups held steady during the same

period. Research identified numerous cultural and religious customs that could conflict with

CRR programs including language barriers and the use of candles and fireworks. To reduce or

eliminate these conflicts SMFRA must collect and analyze ethnic information on incident reports

and during CRR presentations. SMFRA must utilize technology to identify the Authorities

specific ethnic composition and provide CRR materials in the appropriate languages. Most

importantly, SMFRA must form partnerships with community leaders to identify and address

their specific CRR needs.


Table of Contents

Page

Certification Statement 2

Abstract 3

Table of Contents 4

List of Tables 5

Introduction 6

Background and Significance 7

Literature Review 11

Procedures 18

Results 21

Discussion 31

Recommendations 37

References 39

Appendix A: Fire Safety Educators of Colorado Survey Results 42

Appendix B: Fire Safety Educators of Colorado Membership 47

Appendix C: E-mail Survey to Fire Departments Serving Diverse Counties 48 Appendix D: Most ethnically diverse counties in United States in 2006 49 Appendix E: Questionnaire to Hispanic community leaders 50 Appendix F: Questionnaire to Asian community leaders 53

Appendix G: Hispanic demographic location map 56

Appendix H: Asian demographic location map 57

Appendix I: Black demographic location map 58


List of Tables

Page

Table 1: Ethnic composition changes between 2000 and 2009 8

Table 2: Percent of ethnic population change from 2000 to 2009 22


Introduction

Providing comprehensive and effective Community Risk Reduction (CRR) programs to

the citizens living in one of the fastest growing regions of the nation can be very challenging.

High growth rates result in communities that are constantly evolving and becoming more

diverse. The FIRE 20/20 Multicultural Health and Safety Research Project (2007) identified this

fact in the three cities they evaluated; Seattle, Austin and Milwaukee. The firefighters in all three

cities reported, “…multiple languages, cultural and religious traditions and generational

differences present new and unique challenges to both fire departments and community

members” (p. 233). The challenges identified by these firefighters are a direct result of their

communities becoming more diverse.

South Metro Fire Rescue Authority (SMFRA) provides fire and emergency medical

services in one of the fastest growing regions of the nation. As a result of this growth, the ethnic

composition of the residents living within SMFRA is constantly evolving. The problem was

SMFRA had not evaluated how the cultural and religious customs of these ethnic minority

groups conflict with the Community Risk Reduction (CRR) programs offered by SMFRA. The

purpose of this Applied Research Paper (ARP) is to evaluate how the cultural and religious

customs of the ethnic minority groups conflict with CRR programs offered by SMFRA.

The Evaluative Research Method was used to answer the following questions (a) what

ethnic groups live within SMFRA and what are the growth rates of each group, (b) how

effectively are the SMFRA CRR programs meeting the needs of the ethnic communities within

the district, (c) what are the cultural customs of each ethnic group that conflict with CRR

programs, (d) what are the religious customs of each ethnic group that conflict with CRR


programs, (e) how can SMFRA reduce or eliminate potential conflicts between cultural and

religious customs of the ethnic communities and the CRR programs offered by SMFRA?

Although providing comprehensive and effective CRR programs to the evolving

communities can be challenging, the rewards are significant. FIRE 20/20 (2007) determined that

increasing prevention and public safety education within the minority communities can result in

the development of community partnerships and trusting relationships. The community will gain

a better knowledge of what services the fire department provides resulting in less confusion

during emergencies. The most important outcome, according to FIRE 20/20, will be a reduction

in fires, injuries, and loss of life (p. 270).

Background and Significance

South Metro Fire Rescue Authority (SMFRA) was established January 1, 2009 as a result

of the consolidation of Parker Fire District and South Metro Fire Rescue. SMFRA is located

south of the Denver, Colorado metropolitan area. The Authority covers 176 square miles

including the communities of Centennial, Greenwood Village, Foxfield, Lone Tree, Parker,

Castle Pines, Cherry Hills, and Louviers. SMFRA serves a residential population of

approximately 198,000 citizens living in both Douglas and Arapahoe Counties (South, 2009).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Douglas County has been one of the fastest

growing counties in the nation during the past fifteen years. This trend continues as Douglas

County was ranked number ten in the nation for the fastest growing counties between 2000 and

2008 according to U.S. Census estimates (2008a).

While the growth rate for Douglas County over the last fifteen years has been impressive,

a closer investigation shows that 96 percent of Douglas County’s growth from years 2000 to

2006 has been from internal migration. Internal migration has been defined by the U.S. Census


Bureau as births and deaths occurring in the United States, as well as, movement from state to

state (2008b).

Arapahoe County’s growth rate has been substantially lower than Douglas County over

the last fifteen years. However, 37.5 percent of Arapahoe County’s growth rate from the years

2000 to 2006 has been from international migration compared to only three percent for Douglas

County (2007). The U.S. Census Bureau defines international migration as foreign-born

migration, movement to and from Puerto Rico, native emigration, and movement of Armed

Forces to and from overseas (2008b).

The rapid growth rates experienced by SMFRA have led to a noticeable change in the

ethnic composition of the Authority. Asian and Hispanic populations have increased at a

substantial rate over the last nine years. The population increase for Blacks, while not as large,

has also been very impressive.

Table 1

Ethnic composition changes between 2000 and 2009

2000 2009 % INCREASE

WHITE 118,431 177,489 50% HISPANIC 5,217 9,964 91% BLACK 1,451 2,085 44% ASIAN 3,315 7,417 124% AMERICAN INDIAN 288 313 9% PACIFIC ISLANDER 49 54 10% NOTE: Ethnic classifications and percentages obtained from SMFRA Planning and Analysis Bureau.

Comparing the percentage of each ethnic group against the total population of SMFRA

gives a clearer indication of the evolving demographics experienced by SMFRA. The percentage

of total population for White residents has decreased since 2000 by nearly one full percentage

point. Conversely, the percentage of Asian and Hispanic residents have each increased by over


one percentage point during the same time period. The percentages for total population for

Blacks, American Indians, and Pacific Islanders have remained relatively unchanged since 2000.

Migration Policy Institute (MPI) confirms the high growth rate in a report they released

in 2009. MPI reported that the foreign-born (immigrant) population in Colorado increased by

31.2 percent between the years 2000 and 2007 (Colorado, p. 1). In 2007, according to MPI, 58.2

percent of the foreign-born population in Colorado emigrated from Latin America, 20.0 percent

from Asia, 14.6 percent from Europe and 3.7 percent from Africa (p. 2).

Neither Parker Fire District nor South Metro Fire Rescue routinely collected or reported

ethnic information on National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) forms. The lack of

ethnic information collected on NFIRS reports severely limited the ability of Community Safety

Services (CSS) to determine fire trends within the communities. The lack of available data,

coupled with the comparatively low percentage of ethnic minorities residing in the district, made

it impractical to evaluate how effectively CRR programs were meeting the needs of the ethnic

minority communities.

SMFRA continues the past practice of not routinely collecting and reporting ethnic

information on NFIRS reports even though population growth trends clearly indicate that ethnic

minority populations are steadily increasing. Eventually, SMFRA will experience the same

language, cultural and religious barriers as the three fire departments experienced in the FIRE

20/20 research project. Without the availability of accurate and complete data from NFIRS

reports, SMFRA will be ill equipped to analyze and adjust their CRR programs to meet the needs

of the evolving communities.

The National Fire Academy (NFA) student manual for Executive Analysis of Community

Risk Reduction (EACRR) states that community risk reduction occurs through a combination of


prevention and mitigation strategies. Risk prevention is the act of anticipating potentially

dangerous situations that may occur within the community and taking the necessary actions to

prevent them from happening. Risk mitigation is the act of anticipating potential hazards and

taking the necessary actions to lessen the severity of the outcome (Federal Emergency

Management Administration [FEMA], 2009, p. SM 1-10). This ARP will address both risk

prevention and risk mitigation issues in the ethnic minority communities.

The EACRR student manual (FEMA, 2009) describes the five elements necessary for a

successful risk reduction program. Community support is a crucial element of the process. “A

community that understands what is wrong and how they play a role in solving the problem is

better positioned to help reduce the risk” (p. SM 1-31). Data presented in this ARP will identify

potential conflicts that can be prevented or mitigated utilizing community partnerships formed

within the ethnic minority communities.

Organizational support is another very important element of a successful risk reduction

program (FEMA, p. SM 1-31). The data obtained from this ARP will allow SMFRA to perform

primary prevention activities to prevent the occurrence of potentially hazardous events. Primary

prevention, as defined by the NFA, is “the prevention of events that might result in injuries or

property loss” (p. SM 1-11). Primary prevention allows the fire district to be pro-active in their

Community Risk Reduction efforts through the use of programs such as public service

announcements, school programs, and home inspections.

This ARP directly and indirectly addresses all five of the United States Fire

Administration (USFA) directives as listed in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

Executive Fire Officers Program (EFOP) applied research project guidelines. Directives one,

two, and three call for the reduction in the loss of life for children under 14 years old, adults over


65 years old, and firefighters respectively (p. II-2). FIRE 20/20 (2007) reported that building

community partnerships, developing trusting relationships, and reducing confusion about the

services provided by SMFRA will lead to a reduction in the number of fire deaths. “All of these

can reduce the risk of injury and loss of life for both the first responders and multicultural

community members” (p. 270).

USFA directive four requires promoting a comprehensive, multihazard risk reduction

plan within the communities. Directive five states that SMFRA will respond appropriately and in

a timely manner to emerging issues (Department, p. II-2). These two directives can only be

accomplished through the development of community partnerships and trusting relationships.

Studies show that members of multicultural focus groups are willing to assist fire departments to

provide safe and effective services in their communities. Assistance includes language and

cultural translation, sensitivity training and assistance with fire prevention and safety education

programs (“FIRE”, 2007, p. 274).

Literature Review

The Federal Government has updated the definition of Hispanic, Asian, and Black on the

2010 U.S. Census Bureau questionnaire. Hispanics, Latino, and Spanish Origin titles are

interchangeable to describe persons of Mexican, Mexican American, Chicano, Puerto Rican,

Cuban, and South American descent. Blacks are also identified as African American or Negro

and include persons having their origins in any of the Black racial groups in Africa. Asian

Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and other Asian are all descriptors of

persons from the Asian race (2009a, p. 1). For this ARP, this researcher will use the descriptors--

Hispanic, Asian, and Black-- as established by the U.S. Census Bureau.

http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/downloads/pdf/efop_guidelines.pdf%2007-08.%20%20FIRE%2020/20�


FIRE 20/20 Multicultural Health and Safety Research Project (2007) was a

comprehensive study commissioned by the Department of Homeland Security. The focus of

FIRE 20/20 was to evaluate the safety risks to firefighters and civilians in multicultural

communities. FIRE 20/20 evaluated three fire departments, Austin, Seattle, and Milwaukee to

answer questions specific to responses within the multicultural communities (p. 14).

Through the use of community focus groups, information was gathered related to the

specific cultural and religious customs practiced in the multicultural communities and how these

customs impact community risk reduction programs. Hispanics in this study discussed concerns

with the safety of home alters while Asian participants discussed concerns with cooking on

woks. First generation immigrants in all three cities discussed the trouble they had learning to

cook on electric stoves because they could not see a flame (“FIRE”, 2007, p. 296).

Orthodox Jewish team members stated that it was against their belief to extinguish a lit

candle that tips over during a Sabbath or holiday celebration. Furthermore, they are not permitted

to use a phone on the Sabbath or Jewish holiday. Muslims expressed a concern that some

Muslim women may not leave a burning house unless their face was covered as is their custom.

Immigrants from Africa related information about an important coffee ceremony. During this

ceremony, coffee is cooked on a charcoal burner inside the house (“FIRE”, 2007, p. 296).

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) conducted a research project in 2007

titled The NFPA Urban Fire Safety Project. By partnering with the Louisville, Kentucky and

Milwaukee, Wisconsin fire departments, the NFPA desired to identify the causes of fire injuries

and deaths in the high-risk communities. For this study, the research study group was limited to

fire departments who served populations of over 250,000 people (National, p. i). Although


SMFRA serves a population of only 198,000 the data is still applicable to SMFRA for primary

prevention purposes.

Information presented in the NFPA study illustrate that race plays an important role in

fire injuries and deaths. According to the report, Blacks are twice as likely to die in a fire as the

general population. Blacks in low income areas experience very high rates of fire deaths where

as deaths in higher income communities do not appear to follow racial lines. In addition, the

highest rate of fire and burn deaths occur to Black children from the age of 1 to 9 (2007, p. 8).

The NFPA (2007) project recommends that fire departments concentrate on establishing

organizational and community equity for CRR programs. The department leadership and

employees must demonstrate the importance of CRR programs to the communities. Next, the fire

department must actively engage the community through work groups, schools and community

outreach. It is also important, according to NFPA, that fire departments track information

regarding incidents, public contacts, and CRR programs offered (p. 21-25).

The West Palm Beach Fire and Rescue Department (WPBFRD) identified five

components necessary to reduce risk within the Hispanic communities. The first component

requires having fire department educators that are bilingual. According to WPBFRD the

language barrier was the most difficult obstacle for them to overcome. The second component is

to provide CRR materials in the native languages of the participants. The third component

requires fire department personnel to become familiar with the culture of the community. To be

successful, all fire department personnel must commit to the theory and practice of cultural

awareness (Triana, 2007, p. 30).

The fourth component for reducing risk in the Hispanic communities involves the

establishment of community partnerships for change. These partnerships can be with community


leaders, organizations, or institutions that can assist in presenting the CRR programs. Finally,

Triana (2007) reports that fire departments must market their CRR programs to the communities

they serve. The ethnic minority communities must be informed of what services are available to

them before they can be expected to utilize those services (p. 31).

The City of Beaufort Fire Department in South Carolina has also experienced rapid

population growth in their district. A large percentage of this growth has come from Hispanic

migrant farmers who work the agricultural fields in the area. The fire department recognized the

need to focus their CRR programs to the growing Hispanic population. The City of Beaufort Fire

Department started by educating the Hispanic communities that the fire department’s intent was

to ensure the safety of the community. Then they confirmed that all Hispanic residents knew how

to report an emergency and felt comfortable doing so if necessary (Byrne, 2007, p. 1).

From there, Byrne (2007) states the City of Beaufort Fire Department took several steps

to promote themselves to the Hispanic communities. The fire department partnered with the local

Hispanic cable television channel to present fire safety education programs. In addition, they

provided safety tips that were published in the local Hispanic newspapers. According to Byrne,

the fire department established a special phone line for Hispanic residents to request smoke

detectors and ask fire prevention questions. They also added a Spanish section to the

department’s Internet Website (p. 2). Although the programs developed by West Palm Beach

Fire and Rescue Department and the City of Beaufort Fire Department were directed specifically

toward the Hispanic communities, they are just as applicable to the other ethnic communities.

Planning fire prevention programs, according to The Fire Chief‘s Handbook (Barr, 2003),

requires a needs analysis. “Needs analysis for fire prevention programming involves assessing


the relative fire risks in a community and identifying the significant risks that should be

addressed” (p. 1066).

Analysis of community fire prevention needs involves a five tiered process; awareness,

fire cause data, emergency medical data, requests for programs, and fire report data. Awareness

involves asking fire department personnel what types of calls they have responded to or what

community educational needs they have witnessed. Fire cause data, emergency medical reports

and fire reports will assist with tracking trends and demands for service. This data would also be

very useful when evaluating what CRR programs should be developed. The final tier involves

participating in requests for programs from community groups such as homeowners’ association

meetings. These settings may not have a specific topic for discussion which allows fire personnel

to present CRR programs tailored to specific department needs (Barr, 2003, p. 1067-1069).

In 2008, the United States Fire Administration (USFA) released a report detailing a five

step process for public fire education planning. According to the USFA, the first step that fire

departments should take is conducting a community risk analysis. The analysis will identify fire

and life safety issues threatening the community as well as identifying the demographics of the

communities. Step two involves the development of community partnerships. Partnerships can

be with individuals, groups, or organizations who will work together to reduce or eliminate risks

in the community. Step three requires that the fire department personnel and community partners

take the information identified in step one and, working together, develop prevention and

reduction strategies (p. iii).

In step four of the USFA (2008) five step process, the intervention strategies are

implemented in the effected communities. The final step fire departments must take with public

fire education planning is evaluation of the results. Through the collection of data, fire


departments can determine if they achieved their desired results. If the desired results were not

achieved the program should be evaluated and adjusted as needed (p. iii).

The Fire Chief’s Handbook discusses cultural influences in chapter 24 titled Planning for

Community Fire and Emergency Services. Identifying the culture of the community is a vital step

in understanding the customs and beliefs of the people. In this instance, culture is not limited to

just ethnic groups but also includes businesses, community groups, civic leaders and institutions.

Awareness of the community’s culture will assist the planner with making informed decisions

regarding the needs of the community (Bennett & Forsman, 2003, p. 1022).

It is also essential for planners to have a good understanding of the ethnic composition of

the communities. This information will assist the planner in determining who was affected by a

particular issue, what social and economic influences might be involved, and how best to correct

any potential problems (Bennett & Forsman, 2003, p. 1022). Understanding the ethnic influences

of the communities is just as important for the fire safety educator when developing and

presenting CRR programs.

Fire Service Administration (Grant & Hoover, 1994) states, “Fire departments need to

know their communities, understand their cultural makeup, and be aware of changes taking

place” (p. 55). Once the fire department has gained this information, the next step is to adjust or

refocus their CRR programs to fit the changing needs of the communities (p. 55).

Private sector businesses are adept at analyzing their environment and adjusting their

products to meet the changing needs of their customers. Examples include the introduction of

senior discounts at retail outlets as the “Baby Boomer” population ages. The rapid growth rate in

the Hispanic communities has led to the creation of numerous Hispanic radio and television


stations throughout the United States. “The fire service must also begin to target its services

toward the changing characteristics of its clientele” (Grant & Hoover, 1994, p. 53).

Information regarding the changing demographics of fire districts can be obtained from

numerous sources according to Grant and Hoover (1994). Local religious organizations often

assist new immigrants with finding housing and employment. Local school districts maintain

records on the number of children who speak languages other than English as their first

language. Also, during CRR presentations at local schools, fire department personnel can

identify changes in the classroom makeup (p. 56-57).

Grant and Hoover (1994) identified five skills necessary to interact positively with other

cultures. The first skill is to demonstrate respect. Demonstrating respect can only be

accomplished by learning what is acceptable and not acceptable for the cultures residing in your

service area. It is also important to be nonjudgmental. Do not evaluate cultural practices or

traditions as right or wrong but as safe or unsafe. The next step requires showing empathy

toward the ethnic communities by first gaining a good knowledge of their customs and traditions

before working toward correcting unsafe actions. The fourth skill requires the art of being

flexible. Understand that CRR programs that work with one ethnic group may not work with

another ethnic group. The final skill requires the tolerance of differences. CRR educators must

not become frustrated with differences as this could lead to the assumption of superiority (p. 62).

In summary, the literature review clearly demonstrates that providing effective CRR

programs in ethnic minority communities is a three step process. First, CRR educators must

acquire a comprehensive understanding of the fire district’s demographics. Second, CRR

educators must actively establish partnerships with the formal and informal leaders of the ethnic


communities. Finally, CRR programs must be adjusted and refined to meet the needs of the

changing ethnic minority population.

Procedures

For this Applied Research Paper, the Evaluative Research Method was used to evaluate

data obtained through research, surveys and interviews. Data obtained was analyzed to answer

the following questions (a) what ethnic groups live within SMFRA and what are the growth rates

of each group, (b) how effectively are the SMFRA CRR programs meeting the needs of the

ethnic communities within the district, (c) what are the cultural customs of each ethnic group that

conflict with CRR programs, (d) what are the religious customs of each ethnic group that conflict

with CRR programs, (e) how can SMFRA reduce or eliminate potential conflicts between

cultural and religious customs of the ethnic communities and the CRR programs offered by

SMFRA?

Ethnic Groups

Data pertaining to the ethnic groups residing within SMFRA and their growth rates were

obtained from MicroBuild software purchased by SMFRA from Gadberry Group. MicroBuild

uses consumer demographics, U.S. Census information and U.S. Postal Service data to compile a

complete and accurate data base. Data obtained from the Gadberry group was customized to the

Authorities boundaries making it a more accurate representation of the Authorities population

than the U.S. Census Bureau data (R. Heck, personal communication, June 10, 2009). To

determine the rate of growth for each ethnic minority group, the 2000 population totals were

compared to the 2009 population totals. These figures were then extrapolated to determine the

percentage of total SMFRA residential population each ethnic minority group represented.


Meeting Ethnic Community Needs

Research, interviews and surveys were used to determine how effectively SMFRA

Community Risk Reduction (CRR) programs are meeting the needs of the ethnic minority

communities. SMFRA National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) reports were reviewed

for years 2005 thru 2009 to determine the extent of ethnic minority involvement in fire incidents.

Tracey Taylor, SMFRA Life Safety Education Manager, was interviewed to determine

how CRR programs are offered by SMFRA. Data obtained from Ms. Taylor was compared to

data received through two surveys sent to regional and national fire departments. The first survey

(Appendix A) was sent to member departments of Fire Safety Educators of Colorado (Fire,

2009) (Appendix B) utilizing the online survey site www.SurveyMonkey.com. This survey was

designed to determine what, if any, impact the growing ethnic minority population had on fire

departments throughout the state of Colorado. In addition, if impacts were identified, what steps

have fire departments taken to reduce or eliminate the impacts? Of the 28 departments surveyed,

18 departments chose to participate for a return rate of 64 percent.

Information obtained from the Fire Safety Educators of Colorado (FSEC) survey may

have been biased in the fact that Ms. Taylor is the President of FSEC and Einer Jensen, who also

works for SMFRA, is the FSEC Secretary (Fire, 2009, p. 1). The leadership roles played by

SMFRA in FSEC could potentially influence the actions taken by the other member departments

to reduce or eliminate conflicts.

The second survey was conducted utilizing an e-mail questionnaire (Appendix C). This

questionnaire was sent to 25 national fire departments (Appendix D) who serve the most

ethnically diverse counties in the United States as reported by the U.S. Census Bureau (2009b, p.

1). This questionnaire was designed to determine if conflicts with CRR programs existed in

http://www.surveymonkey.com/�


communities with higher percentages of ethnic minorities than SMFRA. The data obtained was

limited as only six departments responded to the e-mail questionnaire resulting in a low return

rate of 24 percent. The low return rate was anticipated given the size and complexity of the

departments being surveyed. In addition, a majority of these departments did not offer direct e-

mail addresses for their fire safety education personnel.

Cultural Conflicts

Questionnaires were sent to local Hispanic community leaders (Appendix E) and local

Asian community leaders (Appendix F) to obtain data on the cultural beliefs and customs of

these ethnic communities. This data was supplemented by further literature review to obtain a

more comprehensive understanding of the cultural customs and beliefs. Data obtained was

analyzed to determine what, if any, impact it would have on the CRR programs offered by

SMFRA.

Religious Conflicts

The same questionnaires were used to obtain data on the religious beliefs and customs of

the ethnic communities residing within SMFRA. This data was supplemented by further

literature review to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of the religious beliefs and

customs. Data obtained was analyzed to determine what, if any, impact it would have on the

CRR programs offered by SMFRA.

Reducing Conflicts

All data collected for this ARP was analyzed to develop suggested ways to reduce or

eliminate potential conflicts between the CRR programs offered by SMFRA and the cultural and

religious customs of the ethnic minority communities.


Results

Ethnic Groups

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Douglas County is ranked number ten in the nation

for the fastest growing counties between 2000 and 2008 with the majority of the new residents

arriving from other states. The growth rate for Arapahoe County has been substantially lower

than Douglas County over the last fifteen years. However, 37.5 percent of Arapahoe County’s

growth rate from the years 2000 to 2008 has been from international immigration (U.S. Census,

2008a).

When Parker Fire District and South Metro Fire Rescue consolidated in 2009, it was

decided that U.S. Census Bureau data lacked the necessary detail for comprehensive strategic

planning. As a result, South Metro Fire Rescue Authority purchased Gadberry’s MicroBuild

products to collect and analyze numerical data relating to district demographics. In addition,

Gadberry gives SMFRA the ability to identify specific communities where Hispanics (Appendix

G), Asians (Appendix H), and Blacks (Appendix I) are residing in the district.

The rapid growth rate experienced by SMFRA has led to a noticeable change in the

demographics of the Authority. Since 2000, the percentage of total population of White residents

of SMFRA has declined by nearly one full percentage point from 90.2 percent to 89.5 percent.

The Asian population within SMFRA has experienced the largest increase going from 2.5

percent of the population to 3.7 percent. The Hispanic population experienced a 1.1 percent

increase to a total of 5.0 percent of the total population of SMFRA. Black, Pacific Islander and

American Indian populations remained relatively unchanged with only a slight decrease noted

for all three (R. Heck, personal communication, April 20, 2009). The data clearly indicates that

Asians and Hispanics are the two fastest growing ethnic minority groups in SMFRA. As a result


of these findings, the focus of this Applied Research Paper will be limited to the Asian and

Hispanic ethnic communities.

Table 2

Percent of ethnic population change from 2000 to 2009

2000 2009 % CHANGE WHITE 90.2% 89.5% -0.7% HISPANIC 3.9% 5.0% 1.1% BLACK 1.1% 1.0% -0.1% ASIAN 2.5% 3.7% 1.2% AMERICAN INDIAN 0.22% 0.15% -0.07% PACIFIC ISLANDER 0.003% 0.002% -0.001% NOTE: Ethnic classifications and percentages obtained from SMFRA Planning and Analysis Bureau.


Tracey Taylor, SMFRA Life Safety Education Manager, was interviewed to determine

how effectively the SMFRA CRR programs are meeting the needs of the ethnic communities.

SMFRA Life Safety Bureau does not routinely collect ethnic information on the participants of

CRR programs. They recently implemented a policy to collect ethnic information when

conducting Juvenile Fire Setter interviews. However, this data base is too limited at this time for

analysis (personal communication, April 27, 2009).

Ethnic information for fire incidents is equally limited according to Rex Heck, Planning

Analysis Technician for SMFRA. The NFIRS reporting system is utilized by SMFRA. However,

they do not routinely collect ethnic information on these reports. Currently, SMFRA collects

ethnic information on emergency medical reports, fire causality reports, and fire investigation

reports. The ethnic information collected on fire investigation reports is limited in that it may

pertain to anyone on the fire scene; the homeowner, witness, or passer by. SMFRA does not have

an effective method to filter or analyze this data (personal communication, May 26, 2009).


The Fire Safety Educators of Colorado (FSEC) survey data closely mirrors the findings at

South Metro. Of the eighteen departments that responded to the survey, 94 percent utilized the

NFIRS reporting system while only 31 percent routinely collected ethnic information.

According to Ms. Taylor, SMFRA provides CRR materials in English and Spanish.

Materials provided in Spanish are limited to Child Safety Seat Checks, Fire Extinguishers in the

Workplace, Home Fire Safety, Senior Citizen Fall Prevention, and Senior Citizen Fire Safety

(personal communication, July 23, 2009). According to the FSEC survey, 72 percent of the

surveyed departments offer CRR materials in both English and Spanish. None of the surveyed

departments offered materials in languages other than English and Spanish.

Data obtained confirms that Colorado Fire Safety Educators are offering CRR materials

in languages other than English at a higher rate than fire departments serving more diverse

communities. E-mail surveys were sent to 25 departments that serve communities located in the

most diverse counties of the country as reported by the U.S. Census Bureau (U.S. Census,

2009b). All six departments that responded to the survey reported that they have adjusted their

CRR programs by adding materials in languages other than English. A search of the Internet

Websites for the other 19 departments identified four additional departments who offered

materials in languages other than English. Combined, only 40 percent of the 25 departments

serving the most diverse counties in the United States offered CRR materials in languages other

than English. This percentage may be limited as it was based primarily on the visual inspection

of each fire departments Internet website.

The FSEC survey asked for a self assessment on how well their agency provided CRR

programs to the ethnic minority communities they serve. One department felt they provided CRR

programs to the ethnic communities at an “Above Average” level. Nine departments, 50 percent


of the respondents, reported they provided CRR programs to the ethnic communities at an

“Average” level. The remaining eight departments, including SMFRA, responded that they

provided CRR programs to the ethnic communities at a “Poor” level.

Cultural Conflicts

Hispanic. In the United States, Hispanics account for 12.6 percent of the total population.

Hispanics are primarily comprised of three groups, Mexican American, Puerto Rican, and

Cuban. Mexican Americans make up 58.5 percent of the Hispanic population while Puerto

Ricans comprise 9.6 percent and Cubans comprise 3.5 percent. Colorado has the ninth highest

population of Hispanics in the United States and is comprised primarily of Mexican Americans

(Benson, 2003, p. 212-215).

To gain a better understanding of potential culture conflicts in the Hispanic communities,

a questionnaire was sent to local Hispanic community leaders. Alberta Lopez, Secretary for the

National Association of Hispanic Firefighters (NAHF) and Community Safety Services (CSS)

Division Assistant at SMFRA, confirmed that Hispanics in the Denver metropolitan area are

primarily of Mexican American descent as a result of immigration from Mexico. According to

Ms Lopez, Mexican American Hispanics generally hold onto the customs and beliefs of their

native country and resist assimilating to the new languages and standards.

Ms Lopez goes on to say that Hispanics are generally very humble people and find it hard

to ask for assistance. In addition, some Latin American countries discourage their citizens from

calling the authorities--police or fire department--to ask for assistance. Consequently, Mexican

American residents of SMFRA may be reluctant to initiate request for risk reduction programs.

Family is very important in the Hispanic communities. The father or oldest male is

considered the head of the household and the final decision maker for the family. Mothers are


viewed as the primary caregiver for both the children and elders living in the house. Like the

mother, elder members of the family also play an active role as caregivers. Elder family

members are treated more formally than other family members as a sign of respect (Children’s,

2009, p. 3).

According to Benson, Hispanic women will construct home alters as part of their

responsibility as caregiver. Home alters honor family relationships and are considered to be a

connection between the living and deceased family members. Home alters can be as simple as a

few pictures and a candle to very elaborate alters with pictures, candles, statues, hand

embroidered clothing, holy water, and incense (2003, p. 291).

In Mexico, during family gatherings, it is not unusual to cook a pig in makeshift outdoor

ovens. To construct the oven, a pit approximately three feet deep is dug in the yard. Rocks and

wood are placed in the bottom of the pit and the wood is set on fire. When the wood has burned

down to coals a thin layer of dirt is added to cover the coals and then the pig, wrapped in clothe,

is placed in the hole. The remainder of the hole is filled in with dirt and the pig is cooked for

approximately14 hours (Catwriter, 2009). Lopez explains that some Hispanic immigrants will

not be aware of the hazards of cooking a pig in a makeshift oven. She goes on to say that

traditional wedding ceremonies include cooking barbacoa (beef) in a similar style makeshift

oven.

Hispanic communities in the Denver area are concerned that fire departments are not

doing enough to meet the needs of the growing Hispanic communities. As the population

increases the potential to experience language barriers increases. Ms Lopez states that recruiting

a work force that accurately represents the demographics will reduce the potential for language

barriers and cultural conflicts.


Asian. Asians make up 4.3 percent of the total population of the United States. Between

1990 and 2000 the Asian population has increased by 63 percent making Asian Americans the

fastest growing ethnic group in America. Colorado, Nevada, and Arizona had the highest Asian

American population increases during that time frame. Asian American ethnic designation

encompasses numerous ethnic groups. The top six ethnic groups in order of growth were

Chinese, Filipino, Asian Indian, Korean, Vietnamese and Japanese (Population, 2009, p. 1).

Karl Chwe, Program Coordinator for the Asian Pacific Development Center in Denver,

Colorado was interviewed to identify potential CRR conflicts with Asian cultural and religious

customs. Mr. Chwe states that the largest Asian groups in the Denver metropolitan area are

Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, and Filipino. The rate of assimilation depends greatly on the

education level and country of origin. Filipino and highly educated Asians tend to assimilate

faster according to Mr. Chwe.

Chwe believes the greatest cultural conflict that SMFRA will encounter when presenting

CRR programs to the Asian communities is the language barrier. He states that this will be

especially prevalent with adult immigrants from Southeast Asia. In addition, Southeast Asian

immigrants have developed a distrust of governmental agencies. In their home countries, it was

not unusual for governmental agencies to be used by corrupt leaders to exploit the citizens.

In North America, the term hibachi is used to refer to a small stove designed to cook

food. Created in China around 800AD, the traditional hibachi was a small vessel designed to

hold burning charcoal. Hibachis were originally used to heat the homes of samurai, aristocrats,

and other nobility. Eventually, there use became commonplace in homes and businesses

throughout the country. The use of hibachis to heat homes has declined since World War II;

however, some immigrants may still follow this practice (Wikipedia, 2009).


The Chinese Spring Festival is celebrated on the first day of the lunar calendar. The

Spring Festival is considered the most important Chinese festival and will last for several weeks.

Setting off fireworks and firecrackers is the traditional way to say goodbye to the previous year

and welcome in the New Year (“Spring”, 2009, p. 1). Mr. Chwe states that it was also traditional

to celebrate the Chinese New Year with fireworks; however, in recent years the use of fireworks

has declined.

Religious Conflicts

Hispanic. In the questionnaire, Ms. Lopez responded that Denver area Hispanics

generally identify with the Catholic Religion. Her greatest concern related to religious customs is

the over crowding and blocked exits at churches and other event centers during religious

ceremonies. Ms. Lopez states, “I have been nervous attending events where I see the means of

egress obstructed”.

Hispanics observe numerous religious holidays and festivals throughout the year that

could impact CRR messages presented by fire departments. Starting on October 31, El Dia de los

Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a three day celebration to honor deceased family members.

During this celebration, the spirits of deceased family members are granted permission to return

home and are attracted by the love they feel from family members (“Best”, 2007, p. 1).

One of the focal points of the three day celebration is the construction of an alter either at

the family home or at the grave site of the deceased family member. The alter, or Ofrenda,

consist of a table covered with either a table cloth or colored tissue paper. Pieces of sugar cane

are tied to the legs of the table to form an arch. The arch is a symbol to welcome deceased family

members back to the household. The alters are decorated with family photographs, toys, food,

flowers, statues, and candles. In addition to alters, El Dia de los Muertos celebrations include the


use of special lamps containing higuerilla oil, yellow and white candles, and velones, a special

kind of candle used for prayer (“Best”, 2007, p. 1).

Las Posadas is celebrated by the Hispanic communities from December 16 through

December 24. A party is held at a different home each night with food and drink for the adults

and candies and fruit for the children. Each night at dusk, the party goers assemble outside the

house in preparation to re-enact Mary and Josephs search for shelter on Christmas Eve. The

group, led by the children carrying figures of Mary and Joseph, carry lit candles and sing songs

as they proceed to the next assigned party house. When they reach the new home, half of the

party goers go inside and the other half stays outside. Those left outside the home must ask for

shelter before they are allowed inside to continue the party (Consular, 2007, p. 1).

In some communities, the Las Posadas celebration is culminated with the Misa de Gallo

(Midnight Mass) celebration. At the Midnight Mass, the church or house is decorated extensively

with candles and a paper mache piñata is hung from the ceiling. The adults celebrate by eating

and drinking and the children break open the piñata to expose the candy inside (Englekirk &

Marin, 2008).

A grassroots group of devoted Hispanics are promoting the practices of the Penitente

Brotherhood. According to Chandelaria (2004) Penitente religious observances include a high

degree of mysticism, stern discipline, and physical suffering to include self mortification and

occasionally crucifixion. The Penitente religion is still practiced in New Mexico, Utah, and

Colorado (p. 621).

Asian. According to Mr. Chwe, most Asians in the Denver metropolitan area identify

with one of three religious faiths; Christian, Buddhist, and Animist. Animists believe in ancestor

spirits and other spirits that come in various forms such as humans, animals, plants, and rocks.


It is customary, according to Mr. Chwe, for Asian families to burn candles and incense in

their homes, businesses, and places of worship. As an example, it is not unusual for Chinese

restaurant owners to create a small shrine in their restaurant where they will place food offerings

and burn candles and/or incense. Mr. Chwe states that this custom is believed to bring good luck

to the business owner.

Many Buddhists will also construct small shrines in their homes as a way to achieve

magical protection and blessings. The shrines will generally consist of a Buddha statue, candles,

and incense. The more elaborate shrines will also have decorations, flowers, food, and utensils

(Nigosian, 2000, p. 94).

According to Nigosian (2000) an important religious celebration observed by Buddhist is

Obon. The Obon festival is a memorial to deceased family members. During the Obon

celebration, candles and lanterns are lit as a way to guide the spirits of deceased family members

back home (p. 98).

Reducing Conflict

Karl Chwe and Alberta Lopez were asked what SMFRA should do to reduce cultural and

religious conflicts. Mr. Chwe responded that SMFRA should do more to promote their CRR

programs to the Asian communities. It is his belief that most Asians are unaware of the CRR

programs offered by SMFRA.

Mr. Chwe stated that his biggest concern is building relationships with the Asian

communities. He suggested that SMFRA utilize a “cultural broker” to assist in building these

relationships. The broker should be bilingual and bicultural so he or she can act as an

ambassador for SMFRA. Another way to partner with the Asian community is by attending


community events such as the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival or health fairs. SMFRA can also

provide short educational programs at temples or other community events.

Alberta Lopez agreed that community partnerships are vital to reducing CRR conflicts.

She stated that partnerships should also be nurtured with other fire service organizations that

promote diversity. The importance of community partnerships has been identified by Mr. Chwe

and Ms. Lopez, as well as, throughout the literature review. However, 87.5 percent of the Fire

Safety Educators of Colorado (FSEC) member departments—including SMFRA—report never

having partnered with community leaders to develop CRR programs.

Mr. Chwe and Ms. Lopez expressed concern with potential language barriers that fire

safety educators may encounter. The data shows that both Mexican Americans and Southeast

Asians are resistive of assimilation. Both ethnic minority groups are holding on to their native

customs and languages. SMFRA does provide limited CRR materials in Spanish as did all of the

other FSEC departments. According to the results of the FSEC survey, none of the member

departments offered CRR materials in Asian dialects.

Data clearly shows that the rapid growth rates experienced by SMFRA have resulted in

communities that are constantly evolving and becoming more diverse. The Asian and Hispanic

population both increased by over one percent of the total residential population. The White

population declined by nearly one full percentage point. Since Hispanics account for only five

percent of the total residential population and Asians account for only 3.7 percent, Ms. Lopez

states, “There doesn’t seem to be a sense of urgency regarding the increasing Hispanic

population”. She believes that SMFRA must remain prepared for future conflicts by monitoring

the changing demographics and identify the resources necessary to address the needs and

demands of the ethnic communities.


Discussion

The problem was SMFRA had not evaluated how the cultural and religious customs of

the ethnic minority groups conflict with the Community Risk Reduction (CRR) programs offered

by SMFRA. The purpose of this Applied Research Paper (ARP) was to evaluate how the cultural

and religious customs of the minority ethnic groups conflict with CRR programs offered by

SMFRA.

Ethnic Groups

Data obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau clearly illustrate that the population of

Douglas and Arapahoe Counties are growing at a substantial rate. This growth is from both

internal and international migration (2008b, p. 1). The U.S. Census data was confirmed and

refined by SMFRA through the use of computer software purchased from Gadberry Group. The

refined data confirmed that Hispanics and Asians represent the highest percentage of growth

within SMFRA. Blacks, American Indians, and Pacific Islanders remained virtually unchanged

while the percentage of Whites declined by nearly one percentage point.

Simply determining that Hispanics and Asians are the two fastest growing ethnic

minority groups in SMFRA response area is not sufficient information to provide effective CRR

programs. The US Census Bureau recognizes thirty subgroups for the Hispanic classification

(US Census, 2004a, p. 1). Citizens who describe themselves as Asian can be from one of

seventeen different subgroups (US Census, 2004b, p. 1). To provide effective CRR programs to

the ethnic minority communities, SMFRA can obtain more detailed community demographic

information through the creation of community partnerships.

Ms. Lopez stated that Hispanics in the Denver metropolitan area are primarily Mexican

American immigrants who tend to hold onto their native cultures and customs. Mr. Chwe


identified the Asian community as being mostly Chinese, Filipino, Vietnamese, and Korean.

Unless they are Filipino or highly educated, most Asians will hold onto their native culture and

customs according to Mr. Chwe.


The United States Fire Administration (USFA) states the first step fire departments

should take when planning fire prevention programs is a needs analysis including the

demographics of the communities (2008, p. iii). SMFRA has acquired the necessary technology

to collect detailed demographic information but lack sufficient supporting data to perform a

comprehensive needs analysis.

SMFRA does not actively collect ethnic information on National Fire Incident Reporting

System (NFIRS) reports. SMFRA has sufficient data to determine they responded to twelve

structure fires caused by candles from 2005 to 2009. However, detailed data does not exist to

identify how the candles were being utilized; as a decoration, home alter, or during a cultural or

religious ceremony (R. Heck, personal communication, July 13, 2009).

The Fire Chief‘s Handbook (Barr, 2003) states that fire departments should perform a

needs analysis when planning fire prevention programs. According to Barr, to perform a

comprehensive needs analysis, SMFRA should analyze fire cause data, emergency medical

reports, and fire reports (p. 1067). A comprehensive needs analysis for SMFRA is not possible

with the limited data available relating to the ethnic communities.

Currently SMFRA does a poor job providing CRR programs to the ethnic minority

communities according to Tracey Taylor (personal conversation, July 31, 2009). However,

SMFRA has taken several steps to improve the services they provide. SMFRA Community

Safety Services (CSS) has purchased technology to identify and map the ethnic demographics of


the district. In addition, they have started providing CRR materials designed for the Spanish

speaking residents of the district.

Cultural Conflicts

Alberta Lopez, Secretary for the National Association of Hispanic Firefighters Executive

Board believes SMFRA will start experiencing more CRR conflicts as the number of Hispanics

residing in SMFRA continues to increase. Mexican Americans are resistant to assimilation

efforts. As a result, they are holding onto their native languages and customs. SMFRA must

provide the resources necessary to teach CRR programs in Spanish or the message will not be

adequately communicated.

Karl Chwe, Program Coordinator for the Asian Pacific Development Center expressed

the same language barrier concern for the Asian communities. He states that Filipino immigrants

are assimilating quickly. However, immigrants from Viet Nam, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand

still experience significant language barriers.

West Palm Beach Fire and Rescue Department found that providing CRR materials in the

native language of the participants was very beneficial to the participants (Triana, 2007, p.30).

FIRE 20/20 focus groups agreed with the necessity to provide CRR materials in the native

languages of the participants. The focus groups took improving communications one step further

by requesting that translators also be available (FIRE, 2007, p. 267). SMFRA does offer limited

CRR materials in Spanish (T. Taylor personal communication, July 23, 2009) as do 72 percent of

the Fire Safety Educators of Colorado survey participants.

The NFPA Urban Fire Safety Project (2007) determined that knowing the language of

the various ethnic groups was not as important as understanding their culture and building


trusting relationships. NFPA suggest that CRR educators should work with established

organizations in the ethnic communities to gain the support of the community (p. 25).

Mr. Chwe expressed concerns regarding the Asian community’s distrust of governmental

agencies including fire departments. This distrust is a manifestation of treatment they

experienced in their native countries. Ms. Lopez stated that Hispanics are generally very humble

people. Although the reasons are very different, the result is the same, Hispanics and Asians will

be reluctant to ask for assistance or participate in CRR programs.

FIRE 20/20 (2007) discovered similar attitudes when investigating why some ethnic

minority groups might not call 9-1-1 to report an emergency. Focus group participants related a

fear of uniforms and the authority it represented. “Back in Laos, the Communist is anybody in

uniform. You had to respect, bow down, or respect others or you got beaten or even killed in

many cases” (p. 179).

Religious Conflicts

The data clearly indicates that alters and shrines are a vital part of the Hispanic and Asian

culture. The alter and shrine decorations will vary from one household to another; however, they

almost always contain candles, incense, and other combustible materials. Hispanic participants in

the FIRE 20/20 (2007) research project also expressed concerns regarding the safety of home

alters (p. 296). Mr. Chwe expressed concern about shrines since Asians will customarily build

them in churches and businesses, as well as, their homes.

Research identified several Hispanic religious holidays and celebrations that may conflict

with CRR programs. El Dia de los Muertos is a celebration to honor the deceased family

members. The focal point of this celebration is the construction of an alter at the home or grave

site of the deceased family member. These alters are similar to the traditional home alters as they


generally consist of candles and various other combustible materials. Oil lamps and special

prayer candles are also used during this celebration (Best, 2007, p. 1).

Las Posadas is a re-enactment of Mary and Josephs search for shelter on Christmas Eve.

Las Posadas last for several days and involves carrying lit candles to different houses each

evening (Consular, 2007, p. 1). Some communities culminate the Las Posadas celebration with a

Midnight Mass called Misa de Gallo. Misa de Gallo involves the extensive use of decorations,

candles, and paper mache piñatas for the children (Consular, 2007, p. 1).

Alberta Lopez expressed a different concern regarding the religious celebrations. She

stated that it is not unusually for churches and other celebration sites to be overcrowded and have

blocked exits.

Buddhism is one of the religious affiliations associated with the Denver Asian

communities. Buddhist traditionally will construct home shrines to achieve protection and

blessing from Buddha. Buddhist shrines will contain statues of Buddha, candles, burning

incense, and other decorations (Nigosian, 2000, p. 94).

Nigosian (2000) relates that an important Buddhist celebration to memorialize the

deceased family members is Obon. Lit candles and oil lamps are used during the Obon

celebration to guide the deceased family members’ home (p. 96).

Reducing Conflicts

The USFA identified the need to develop community partnerships as the second step in

fire prevention planning (p. iii). The City of Beaufort Fire Department and the West Palm Beach

Fire Department both agree that it is very beneficial to utilize community partnerships when

implementing CRR programs in Hispanic communities (Byrne, 2007; Triana, 2007).


The FIRE 20/20 (2007) research project relied heavily on community partnerships and

focus groups to obtain data from the ethnic minority communities in the three cities. Building

effective community relations in non-emergency times affects the scope and impact of

prevention and recruitment programs. “Community leaders are ready and willing to step forward

and help their fire departments find solutions to prevention and recruitment challenges” (p. 223).

Ms. Lopez and Mr. Chwe were asked what SMFRA should do to improve the delivery of

CRR programs. Ms. Lopez expressed the need for SMFRA to monitor the changing district

demographics and be prepared to meet the needs and demands of the evolving communities. She

suggested forming partnerships with fire service organizations that believe in and promote

diversity. According to Mr. Chwe, building relationships with the Asian communities is very

important. He suggested using a “cultural broker” who is bilingual and understands the Asian

cultures to assist with the development of community partnerships.

The data clearly demonstrates the importance of developing community partnerships

within the ethnic minority communities. Community partnerships will assist SMFRA to identify

the specific cultural and religious customs that will conflict with CRR programs. Partnerships

will also provide the foundation necessary to develop or adjust CRR programs to reduce or

eliminate conflicts. Of the eighteen fire departments who responded to the FSEC survey, 87.5

percent, including SMFRA, had never partnered with community leaders to assist in the

development of CRR programs.

West Palm Beach Fire and Rescue Department and the City of Beaufort Fire Department

identified language barriers as a conflict to their CRR efforts (Triana, 2007, p. 30; Byrne, 2007,

p. 1). To reduce or eliminate the impact of this conflict, West Palm Beach provided bilingual

educators and CRR materials in the native languages of the participants (Triana, p. 30). The City


of Beaufort provided Spanish CRR messages to the local radio stations and newspapers. The also

provided a Spanish section on their Internet Website (Byrne, p. 2).

According to Tracey Taylor, SMFRA does provide limited CRR materials in Spanish

(personal communication, July 23, 2009). However, SMFRA does not provide CRR materials in

any of the Asian dialects. The potential for language barrier conflicts will continue to grow as the

districts demographics evolve.

Recommendations

The problem investigated in this ARP was SMFRA had not evaluated how cultural and

religious beliefs of the ethnic minority groups conflict with CRR programs offered by SMFRA.

The data clearly shows that the Hispanic and Asian communities are growing at a greater rate

than the other ethnic groups. The Hispanic communities are primarily Mexican American and the

Asian communities are primarily Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, and Filipino.

The data further identifies numerous Hispanic and Asian cultural and religious customs

that could conflict with SMFRA CRR programs. Conflicts include language barriers,

overcrowding of churches, and the use of candles and fireworks. Home alters, shrines, heating

with charcoal, and cooking in outdoor makeshift ovens are additional sources of conflict.

SMFRA must make the following adjustments to provide effective CRR programs to the

ethnic minority communities. First, SMFRA must fully utilize the Gadberry MicroBuild

technology to identify where the Hispanic and Asian populations are residing in the district.

Gadberry can add schools, sub-divisions, and other community information to the ethnic maps.

This information would allow SMFRA Fire Safety Educators to tailor CRR materials to the

specific needs of each ethnic group during school and homeowners presentations.


Next, SMFRA must take the necessary steps to reduce or eliminate language barrier

conflicts. Effective presentation of CRR programs can not be accomplished when language

barriers exist. SMFRA should take the necessary steps to translate the remaining CRR materials

to Spanish. This effort should then be extended to include translation of CRR materials to the

major Asian dialects as well. Mr. Chwe identified Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, and Filipino as

the primary Asian groups in the Denver metropolitan area. SMFRA should utilize this

information when prioritize their translation efforts.

In addition to the CRR materials, SMFRA should investigate technologies that would

allow the Authorities Internet Website to be translated to the viewers’ native language. This is

the most effective way for the ethnic communities to gain an understanding of what services and

CRR programs the Authority provides.

Thirdly, SMFRA must mandate the complete and accurate collection of ethnic

information on all NFIRS reports, as well as, all CRR contacts. The collected data, if analyzed,

will be valuable information to Community Safety Services (CSS) when tracking fire trends and

determining CRR needs of the specific communities.

The final, and most important, step SMFRA must take to improve the effectiveness of

CRR programs is developing community partnerships with the leaders of the ethnic minority

communities. The research data and literature review agreed that developing community

partnerships had the greatest impact on the effectiveness of CRR programs. Actively forming

community partnerships should not be an activity limited only to the Fire Safety Educators. All

levels of the Authority, from the Chief of the department to the probationary firefighter, can

benefit from developing trusting relationships with members of the ethnic minority communities.


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Appendix A

Fire Safety Educators of Colorado Survey Results

1. Does your Agency conduct Life Safety Education programs or presentations?

answered question 18

skipped question 0

Response Percent

Response Count

Yes 100.0% 18

No 0.0% 0

2. Who does your Agency primarily utilize to conduct Life Safety Education programs? (Check all that apply) answered question 18

skipped question 0

Response Percent

Response Count

Paid Full-time

94.4% 17

Paid Part-time Staff

16.7% 3

Volunteer Staff

27.8% 5

Off Duty Line

22.2% 4

Other 5.6% 1

3. Does your Agency offer Fire Safety programs related to cooking safety, candle safety and smoke detectors?


skipped question 0

Response Percent

Response Count

Yes 94.4% 17

No (If no,

5.6% 1


4. Does your Agency focus on a particular age group for the three Fire Safety programs listed in question 3?


skipped question 1

Response Percent

Response Count

Yes 58.8% 10

No (If no,

41.2% 7

5. What age group does your Agency focus on for Cooking Safety?


skipped question 7

Response Percent

Response Count

Pre-School 0.0% 0

Elementary 18.2% 2

Middle School

18.2% 2

High School

18.2% 2

Adult 18.2% 2

Older Adult

27.3% 3

6. What age group does your Agency focus on for Smoke Detectors?


skipped question 7

Response Percent

Response Count

Pre-School 0.0% 0

Elementary 81.8% 9

Middle school

0.0% 0

High School

0.0% 0

Adult 18.2% 2

Older Adult 0.0% 0


7. What age group does your Agency focus on for Candle Safety?


skipped question 7

Response Percent

Response Count

Pre-School 0.0% 0

Elementary 54.5% 6

Middle School

9.1% 1

High School

9.1% 1

Adult 27.3% 3

Older Adult 0.0% 0

8. Where does your Agency deliver Fire Safety programs? (Check all that apply)


skipped question 0

Response Percent

Response Count

Fire Stations

94.4% 17

Schools 100.0% 18

Home Owner

72.2% 13

Block Parties

50.0% 9

Birthday Parties

11.1% 2

Community Events

94.4% 17

Businesses 77.8% 14

Other 44.4% 8


9. In your opinion, how well does your Agency provide Community Risk Reduction programs to the ethnic minority communities in your district? answered question 18

skipped question 0

Response Percent

Response Count

Excellent 0.0% 0

Above Average

5.6% 1

Average 50.0% 9

Poor 44.4% 8

Extremely Poor

0.0% 0

10. Does your Agency use the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS)?


skipped question 1

Response Percent

Response Count

Yes 94.1% 16

No 5.9% 1

11. If yes, does your Agency routinely collect and report ethnicity information on the NFIRS report?


skipped question 2

Response Percent

Response Count

Yes 31.3% 5

No 68.8% 11

12. Does your Agency provide Community Risk Reduction materials in languages other than English?


skipped question 0

Response Percent

Response Count

Yes 72.2% 13

No 27.8% 5


13. If yes, what languages (Check all that apply)


skipped question 4

Response Percent

Response Count

Spanish 100.0% 14

French 0.0% 0

Chinese 0.0% 0

Japanese 0.0% 0

Korean 0.0% 0

Italian 0.0% 0

German 0.0% 0

Russian 0.0% 0

Other 0.0% 0

14. Has your Agency ever partnered with community leaders within the ethnic minority communities of your district to assist with the development of Community Risk Reduction programs? answered question 16

skipped question 2

Response Percent

Response Count

Yes 12.5% 2

No 87.5% 14

15. Has your Agency ever adjusted your Community Risk Reduction curriculum used in ethnic minority communities as a result of a specific incident or emergency? answered question 18

skipped question 0

Response Percent

Response Count

Yes 11.1% 2

No 88.9% 16


Appendix B

Fire Safety Educators of Colorado Membership

1. Arvada Fire Protection District 2. Black Forest Fire Protection District 3. Boulder Fire Rescue 4. Central City Fire Department 5. Colorado Springs Fire Department 6. Cunningham Fire Protection District 7. Denver Fire Department 8. Elk Creek Fire Protection District 9. Evergreen Fire Rescue 10. Frederick-Firestone Fire Protection District 11. Golden Fire Department 12. Grand Junction Fire Department 13. Greater Brighton Fire Protection District 14. Littleton Fire Department 15. Louisville Fire Department 16. Loveland Fire Rescue 17. North Metro Fire Rescue 18. North Washington Fire Protection District 19. Pleasant View Fire Protection District 20. Pouder Fire Authority 21. Pueblo Fire Department 22. Red, White and Blue Protection District 23. South Metro Fire Rescue 24. Steamboat Springs Fire Rescue 25. Thornton Fire Department 26. Wescott Fire Department 27. West Metro Fire Rescue 28. Westminster Fire Department


Appendix C

E-mail Survey to Fire Departments Serving Diverse Counties My name is Randy Whipple and I work for South Metro Fire Rescue Authority in Colorado. I am currently in my second year of the Executive Fire Officer Program at the National Fire Academy. I would greatly appreciate a few minutes of your time to complete a short questionnaire regarding your department’s fire safety education practices.

1. What are the ethnic composition percentages for the residents of your district? • White _________ • Hispanic_________ • Black _________ • Asian _________ • American Indian _________ • Pacific Islander __________ • Other __________

2. Has your department added to or modified your fire safety education materials to better

meet the needs of the minority communities? If yes, please give details.

3. Has your department experienced specific incidents where a cultural or religious custom occurring in an ethnic minority community has impacted the services provided by your department? If yes, please give details.

Thank you very much for taking the time to assist me with my research paper. Please e-mail your responses to [email protected]. All answers will be kept confidential with only generalities presented in the Applied Research Paper. Sincerely, Randy

mailto:[email protected]�


Appendix D

Most ethnically diverse counties in United States in 2006 County State Fire Department

1. Los Angeles County

CA

Los Angeles County Fire Department

2. Cook County IL Chicago Fire Department 3. Harris County TX Houston Fire Department 4. Maricopa County AZ Phoenix Fire Department 5. Orange County CA Orange County Fire Authority 6. San Diego County CA San Diego Fire Department 7. Miami Dade County FL Miami Dade Fire Rescue Department 8. Riverside County CA Riverside County Fire Department 9. San Bernardino County CA San Bernardino County Fire Department 10. Wayne County MI Detroit Fire Department 11. King County WA Seattle Fire Department 12. Clarke County NV Las Vegas Fire Department 13. Santa Clara County CA San Jose Fire Department 14. Tarrant County TX Fort Worth Fire Department 15. Bexar County TX San Antonio Fire Department 16. Suffolk County NY Suffolk County Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services 17. Middlesex County MA Boston Fire Department 18. Sacramento County CA Sacramento Fire Department 19. Cuyahoga County OH Cleveland Fire Department 20. Palm Beach County FL Palm Beach County Fire rescue 21. Hillsborough County FL Tampa Fire Department 22. Hennepin County MN St. Paul Fire Department 23. Franklin County OH City of Columbus Fire Department 24. Fairfax County VA Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department 25. St. Louis County MO St. Louis Fire Department


Appendix E

Questionnaire to Hispanic community leaders

Thank you for taking the time to assist me with my applied research paper. My intent for this questionnaire is to gain insight into the cultural and religious customs or traditions of the Hispanic residents living in the Denver metro area. This information will assist me with the development of strategies to provide better Community Risk Reduction programs in the Hispanic communities. Community Risk Reduction programs were previously known as Fire Prevention or Fire Safety programs. The scope of these programs has been expanded to not only include fire prevention but also injury prevention. Programs such as child car seat checks, bicycle helmet awareness and elderly fall prevention programs fit into the new guidelines. 1. What is your name and title?

Alberta L. Lopez, Division Assistant

2. The Hispanic classification, as described by the U.S. Census, is made up of numerous ethnic

groups such as Mexican American, Chicano, Puerto Rican, Cuban, and South American. What ethnic groups are most representative of the Denver metro area Hispanic communities?

Chicano is another name for a Hispanic/Latino and is more a slang term used to describe a Mexican American living in the barrio. I would say the majority of Hispanic’s in the Denver Metro area are of Mexican American descent due to the continual immigration from Mexico.

3. What percentage of the Denver Hispanic population increase is from immigration?

According to the Department of Homeland Security and the 2005 American Survey and Census Data, the percentage of the Colorado Hispanic community was 57.9% in 2005. That is in the state of Colorado. I am unsure what the percentage is in Denver. The latest data is only as recent as 2005. According to the same data, there were 4,562,244 people living in Colorado. Of that number, 460,294 were immigrants (10.1% of the population); 141,684 were citizens (30.8% of immigrant population); 55.2% had limited English proficiency; 85,107 have a college degree; and 84,779 live in poverty (18.4% of immigrant population). I am certain the immigration population in Colorado and specifically the Denver metro area has increased significantly since 2005. According to the U.S. Census Bureau the current population for the State of Colorado is 4,939,456, an increase of 377,212 from 2005. Further, the Pew Hispanic Center reports that the Hispanic population grew in the majority of Colorado counties from 2000 to 2007, continuing trends from the 1990’s. Five counties – Denver, Douglas, Arapahoe, Garfield, and Eagle all had Hispanic populations increase by more than 41%, a statistic that indicates “fast growth, according to


the center study, which used federal census data. Colorado’s Hispanic population is currently estimated by federal data to make up 20% of the state’s total population, and the number has shown no signs of declining in the last 10 years.

4. Does the Hispanic immigrant generally hold onto the culture and beliefs of the country they immigrated from or do they assimilate to the new customs?

In my opinion, the Hispanic immigrant generally holds onto their culture and beliefs of their native country and resists assimilating to the new customs. Enforcement of and/or education on what is socially acceptable and legal in the United States would help them respect the culture/laws/ways/standards in the United States.

5. What Hispanic cultural customs, traditions or celebrations might conflict with the risk reduction efforts of the fire department? Please be as specific as possible. (Examples include items such as family values, cooking and heating methods, language barriers, concerns with governmental agencies, etc)

There is definitely some cultural customs that are normal to the Hispanic immigrant but a risk factor in the United States. For example, it is not unusual for a Hispanic immigrant to think it is okay to roast a pig in the backyard and/or to cook barbacoa (beef cooked in a makeshift oven carved in the ground) for a traditional Mexican wedding. There is also a language barrier in some communities in the Denver Metro area that are predominately Hispanic. Literature printed in Spanish would help and greatly reduce the risk factors as well as having access to a person in authority that they can relate to – i.e., a Hispanic firefighter and/or police officer. Hispanics tend to be very humble and will not ask for help and/or ask questions. Also, in some Latin American countries they are discouraged from going to the authorities and feel it is a bad thing to call the fire department and/or police. They need to know that it is okay and expected to go to the authorities in the United States.

6. What religious faiths do most Denver area Hispanics identify with?

There are many religious faiths within the Hispanic communities. Hispanics identify greatly with the Catholic faith.

7. What Hispanic religious customs, traditions or celebrations might conflict with the risk

reduction efforts of the fire department? Please be as specific as possible. (Examples include items such as celebrations, use of candles or open flames, fireworks, etc.).

What comes to mind is the overcrowding of some religious events at churches. I have been nervous attending events where I see the means of egress obstructed.

8. Are there other concerns that the Hispanic community has regarding risk reduction

programs offered by the local area fire departments?

As a very community involved individual, the conversations that come up in some of my Latino affiliations is the frustration that not enough is being done at their local fire departments to meet the needs of the increasing Hispanic populations to prevent problems down the road – i.e., having Spanish speaking firefighters and/or someone who can relate


to the increasing Hispanic population. Perhaps improvement in recruitment in the fire service will help meet the needs in the future. Recruiting in a predominately Caucasian community will not gain applicants of color/minorities. There is a better chance of recruiting minorities if recruitment is done inner city. We need to get better at our recruitment efforts.

9. What can South Metro Fire Rescue do to improve the delivery of our risk reduction

programs in the Hispanic communities? Since it appears that we are currently representative of the communities we serve, there doesn’t seem to be a sense of urgency regarding the increasing Hispanic population. At some point it will have to be dealt with. The question becomes “are we going to be prepared?” My only suggestion is to make sure we are “dialed in” and/or kept in the loop about the changing demographics in our community and know what our resources are to meet the needs/potential demands of the community and to establish relationships with those fire service organizations that believe in diversity and promote it, such as specific committees such as the Human Relations Committee of the NFPA, IAFF, I-Chiefs, and the NAHF.

I want to thank you again for your insight and willingness to assist me in this project. If possible, please return the questionnaire by Friday, August 14.


Appendix F

Questionnaire to Asian community leaders

Thank you for taking the time to assist me with my applied research paper. My intent for this questionnaire is to gain insight into the cultural and religious customs or traditions of the Hispanic residents living in the Denver metro area. This information will assist me with the development of strategies to provide better Community Risk Reduction programs in the Hispanic communities. Community Risk Reduction programs were previously known as Fire Prevention or Fire Safety programs. The scope of these programs has been expanded to not only include fire prevention but also injury prevention. Programs such as child car seat checks, bicycle helmet awareness and elderly fall prevention programs fit into the new guidelines. 1. What is your name and title?

Karl Chwe, Program Coordinator 2. The Asian classification, as described by the U.S. Census, is made up of numerous ethnic

groups such as Chinese, Japanese, and Taiwanese. What ethnic groups are most representative of the Denver metro area Asian communities? There are no Asian communities that "represent" other Asian communities. They are distinct, the way Russian immigrants are distinct from Irish immigrants (even though they might look alike.) The largest Asian groups in the area are Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean and Filipino. But you can find accurate information at the US Census.

3. What percentage of the Denver Asian population increase is from immigration?

Sorry, don't know. But it depends greatly on the ethnic group. Japanese people have been in Denver for about 100 years, and are now nearly entirely assimilated. But most Burmese people have been here for maybe a year or two.

4. Does the Asian immigrant generally hold onto the culture and beliefs of the country they

immigrated from or do they assimilate to the new customs?

Depends. If they are highly educated, then they assimilate more quickly. Likewise, if they come here because their company expands or some similar reason, they assimilate more quickly. But if they are refugees or fleeing economic hardship, then they are slower.


It also depends on their particular country of origin. Filipinos tend to assimilate more quickly, it appears, because their country has had contact with the west (first the Portuguese, then the US) for many generations.

But no immigrant becomes totally assimilated. Even their children often retain parts of their culture of origin.

5. What Asian cultural customs, traditions or celebrations might conflict with the risk reduction

efforts of the fire department? Please be as specific as possible. (Examples include items such as family values, cooking and heating methods, language barriers, concerns with governmental agencies, etc)

Recent adult immigrants, especially those from Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand), will often have significant language barriers. They are among the more linguistically isolated groups in the nation. Often they regard governmental agencies with distrust, since in their countries of origin, those agencies are often used as tools of oppression by exploitative leaders. Or officials may be corrupt and demand bribes, etc.

Celebrating holidays such as Chinese New Year traditionally involved firecrackers, but that practice appears to have died off, probably because that practice is illegal.

6. What religious faiths do most Denver area Asians identify with?

Many are Christian, some are Buddhist, some are animist (believe in ancestor spirits and other spirits.)

7. What Asian religious customs, traditions or celebrations might conflict with the risk reduction

efforts of the fire department? Please be as specific as possible. (Examples include items such as celebrations, use of candles or open flames, fireworks, etc.)

Some people burn incense or candles in their homes, businesses or places of worship. Sometimes, for example, a Chinese restaurant will have a small shrine in a corner for good luck, where they will place a symbolic food offering like an orange, and sometimes incense too.

8. Are there other concerns that the Asian community has regarding risk reduction programs

offered by the local area fire departments?

There isn't one Asian community, but I imagine they are largely unaware of your risk reduction efforts.


9. What can South Metro Fire Rescue do to improve the delivery of our risk reduction programs in the Asian communities?

The big issue, again, is building relationships with them. One idea is to use a "cultural broker," i.e., somebody who is bilingual and possibly bicultural to be a kind of ambassador, or to even spread your message for you. (You need at least one for each separate Asian community.) You might also partner with other community events such as health fairs targeted at Asians (there have been many), the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival. It is possible you could even visit temples and community groups for short training sessions.

If you can spread the message that a certain practice is actually against the law, that will generally create compliance, it seems, regardless of their culture. If a practice is not wise but not illegal, stopping that will be harder.


Appendix G

Hispanic demographic location map


Appendix H

Asian demographic location map


Appendix I

Black demographic location map

how ethnic cultural and religious customs conflict with...

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