Up To Date

Ending Discrimination Inside The Kansas City Fire Department

By Steve Kraske,

Published December 15, 2020 at 6:28 PM CST

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Kansas City commission member Brandon Ellington poses questions to Fire Chief Donna Lake during the Dec. 10, 2020 city council meeting.

Councilman Brandon Ellington says when it comes to the fire department, "you can literally pick any Black firefighter out and they will tell you the issues."

Ellington says even when he was in state government he heard stories from department members regarding policies that overlooked Black and female members. Now that he is sitting on the city council Ellington is looking for actions to stop the unfair treatment.

Brandon Ellington, Third District-at-Large councilman, Kansas City, Missouri

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Steve Kraske

When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.

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Danie Alexander

As senior producer of Up To Date, I want our listeners to hear familiar and new voices that shine light on the issues and challenges facing the myriad communities KCUR serves, and to expose our audiences to the wonderful and the creative in the Kansas City area. Just as important to me is an obligation to mentor the next generation of producers to ensure that the important conversations continue. Reach me at alexanderdk@kcur.org.

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