JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Two local groups, including black firefighters, upped the ante on Tuesday, demanding Jacksonville's mayor make changes as they fanned the flames over the internal workings of the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department.

A group of black Jacksonville firefighters were inside City Council chambers to voice their concern over Mayor John Peyton's refusal to replace the fire chief.

It has been more than six months since two black firefighters reported finding nooses left on their gear at a downtown fire station.

Since the incident, Peyton had the Human Rights Commission investigate the situation at the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, and the commission called for major management changes.

A report by the commission recommended that the mayor remove the fire chief because of racism and sexism in the department. However, Peyton decided not to make the recommended changes.

On Wednesday, a new commercial slamming the mayor is expected to begin appearing on cable television. The ad slamming the mayor includes images of a confederate flag and a noose superimposed over pictures of the mayor as banjo music plays in the background.

The group that produced the ad would only released a 10-second clip of the commercial on Tuesday.

A portion of the commercials states: "It is time for a positive change in the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department. Discrimination, sexism, nor racism should be tolerated anywhere. It is time for a positive change."

The Black Firefighters Association and the Jacksonville Leadership Coalition are paying for the ad.

"The public needs to be made aware what has been going on, the battles we have been fighting since the first black firefighter came on in 1968. It has not changed," said Wanda Butler of the Black Firefighters Association.

The ad calls for the mayor and other political parties to follow the recommendations of the Human Rights Commission, which suggested getting rid of the fire chief and the three top staff members.

Peyton decided not to replace the fire chief, but he has made some changes in the department.

"I have not seen the ad, but certainly I think it's beneath any citizen to run an ad of this nature," Peyton said.

However, the firefighters and the leadership coalition said they are just trying to get a message across.

"We are hoping to make the public aware and get the political parties behind us to help get the mayor to decide to enforce his own committee's recommendations," Butler said.

"I have a hard time seeing where anything good comes from this, and it certainly does not reflect the values of this community from where I sit in the year 2006 in Jacksonville, Fla.," Peyton said.