‘Horrendous’: Black Firefighter Who Later Took His Own Life, Food Was Tampered with and Had Glass Placed In His Shoes As He Faced Relentless Racial Harassment In Fire House

Black firefighters in southwest England who faced decades of racist treatment, bullying and hostility from their colleagues got an apology this week from the fire chief after a shocking report about longstanding and systemic racism in the fire service was released. An independent investigation into allegations of racism in the Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, which began in 2023 and included interviews with 40 current and former staff members, found distinct patterns of institutional racism within the organization from 1991 to 2018, reported the International Fire and Safety Journal. That included instances when Black firefighters were put in dangerous situations by fellow firefighters, who also subjected them to racial harassment, racial slurs and swastikas. Avanos Biney (Photo: Facebook/ Avanos Biney) Among those habitually mistreated was Avanos Biney, a Black firefighter who served from 1998 to 2001 and who took his own life in 2017 at the age of 49. The report said Biney was considered knowledgeable and reliable by his supervisors, who gave him high marks and commendations for his performance. But his colleagues often made racist remarks in his presence and denigrated him and other Black firefighters. A fellow firefighter was handed an “equal opportunities” document, and his reaction...