South Fulton’s City Council recently voted to limit the use of gender-related titles for public safety personnel. It’s one of the first cities in Georgia to do so.
District 2 Councilwoman Carmalitha Gumbs sponsored the legislation to promote gender diversity within the workplace.
“We want to create a more inclusive environment for city employees and staff,” Gumbs said. “When we became a city, we inherited policies and procedures that included outdated and antiquated references regarding public safety personnel. It is important that we move the city in the right direction.”
City policy refers to public safety employees as firefighters and police officers.
“You can’t have an all-inclusive work environment if everyone does not feel included,” said Fire Chief Freddie Broome. “We are one of the few cities in Georgia that is taking a proactive step to remove gender-specific terminology and embrace neutral terminology.”
“We certainly value all of our employees and want to send the consistent message of inclusion,” said Police Chief Keith Meadows. “I applaud the council’s leadership on this issue.”
The City of South Fulton Fire Department employs seven female firefighters, including one recruit. Forty women work as police officers for the City of South Fulton Police Department.
Photo: Public safety personnel gather to celebrate the reopening of Fire Station No. 1.