Atlanta Fire Rescue Foundation "Step Forward" (2019) 1:10 (USA)

by: kidsleepy, Apr 25 2019 - 7:10pm

The Atlanta Fire Rescue Foundation is looking for a few good people from all walks of life to join their ranks. More than a few good people, in fact. Finding the right recruits that are both physically able and morally upstanding (yup, they require drug tests) is tough.

But as long as you pass those requirements you're good, because ethnicity, gender or orientation doesn't matter.

This campaign makes the point that the department is made up of a very diverse group of individuals. But even though that is true, when it comes time to get the job done, they are one team. As long as you pass the tests, you're part of the club so to speak. Which is a good thing. Because the last time I checked, a burning building doesn't care how you identify. By the time you finished explaining you were a trans lesbian Native American who identified as male at birth, the building would be engulfed.

While the recruitment spot veers into Choddy land, it is at least authentic, and aspirational in the fact that everyone in the community is represented. And I love that. We put firefighters on a pedestal for good reason,. They are courageous and strong and fearless. They live down the street from you. They are members of the community from literally all walks of life and there's a nice sense that any one can potentially do it.

Out of all the work in the campaign, I think the line "Fires are indiscriminate. So are we," is a stand out. The border wall and glass ceiling lines feel a bit expected but overall the campaign does a nice balancing act of stressing the homogeny of teamwork while highlighting diversity.