Evening star., 1954-09-18
FireConlpanY
Integrdtion
Starts Today
14Negroes Due
To Be Transferred
To White Divisions

The District Fire Department
will put its racial integration
program into actual effect at 6
pm. today with the transfer of
IA Negro surplus" privates into
seven understaffed white fire.
fighting companies.
Two additional Negro privates
are being shifted to the admins
trative division. Another pair.
who had been declared SURPLUS"
were deleted from that category
and assigned to a fuel truck sta
toned in the company to which
they have been assigned for some
time.
The transfers, a long time in
the making, are, in officials eyes,
expected to be made without in
cident.
Commissioner Samuel Spencer.
president of the Board of Dis
trict Commissioners who is di-
rectly in charge of Fire Depart
ment matters. took this view:
IT feel confident that these
transfers will work out salts
factorily. In the long run the
new racial integration policy in
the department will, I believe,
work out to the advantage of the
Fire Department and the citi-
zens of the District of Columbia
alike"
Sutton Echoes Views.
Fire Chief Willard H. Sutton
voiced the same sentiments.
II am sure" he said, "that it
will be a success, that there will
be no difficulty"
Top officials of the firemen's
union-Local SO, International
Fire Fighters Association of
America-could not be reached
for comment. The union has
consistently opposed abandon
ment of the segregation policy,
which has prevailed in the de-
partment since World War I.
Stations Affected.
The fire fighters involved here
tofore have been in all-Negro
companies for years. except that,
in most cases, they have had
white commanding officers. Their
transfers, in pairs, are to these
outfits:
Truck No. Is, Brentwood road
and Rhode Island avenue NE.
Engine No. S, Dent place and
Wisconsin avenue NV.
Truck No. 16, Pennsylvania
avenue and Twenty-eigh street
Sc.
Engine No. "a, Georgia ave-
nue and Rock Creek Church road
NV.
Truck No. IA, Connecticut ave-
nue and Porter street NV.
Truck No. 8, Thirteenth and
e streets NV.
Truck No. /, New Jersey ave-
nue. and E street NV.
The administration division to
which two Negroes are being as
signed. actually has had inte-
grafton for years.
Sharing Quarters Big Issue.
The fire-fighting units have
proven the ballg element in the
integration picture. Their COM
plant, as expressed frequently
by the firemen's union, is against
white and colored fire-fighters
sharing quarters in the fire
houses.
Firemen's tours-of duty alter
nately cover 10, to IA hours daily
In weekly changeovers. This
means using the same sleeping
quarters and sharing eating and
other facilities.
A fact not often mentioned
is that. before World War I, such
living conditions actually pre-
vailed in the fire companies here,
one veteran Fire Department Of
ficial pointed out.
Men Carefully Screened.
In selecting the Negro firemen
involved in the big shift, a care
full screening process was applied.
The men finally chosen. accord
ing to Chief Sutton, "are all in
telligent and have made fine
records as members of this de-
partment.
They will be useful fire.
fighters in their new stations"
the chief added. And what we
are interested in is a good fire.
fighting organization like we
have had for many years."
Department officials were in
clined to doubt that more than
handful of white firemen would
resign in protest against the in
tegration move.
After ALL" one spokesman said,
sin the last examinations for
jobs (August) 500 applicants took
the test" This was the biggest
number since the 1905.
Those Reassigned.
The reassignments are:
Milton C. Eerly, 30. of 1869 Benning
road Sc two years on the force, and
James l. Lipscomb, 25, of 6tO GaIlatin
street NV, three years. both to Truck
Paul A, Galloway. 80 of 1852 savan-
nan ns, street Sc fiye years. and Ivan R.
Sc. both to Engine No. eeH ). p'S''
Oliver D. Davenport, 26 of 3415
Shannon place Sc, two years, from
% Of I5oa W pftsseeond s0seUa Avenue a SW four
years, both TO Truck No. Id.
:. Samuel W. Jefferson. 81. of s45
Twsntsotirst nH tsmns street NE; sno iogr years,
Island avenre NE. four years. s' both ITO to
William E. Davis. 30, of a1as Eight
vim Watson, as. OF. 40 Adams street
NV. two years. both to Truck No. il. !.
Algie +, Lewis, a3. of 53a Sixth
n sn sE @ Sf sis Hayes ana Street
William 3. Tolnpkins. a3, Of aoo1
osssr Esss ss5ss' s. Of zf za5l street
Charles G, Fagans, IS, Of 75s Fair
ons street I Of NW aS4s Eessn.a ssrse. aRe
i? years, both to the administrative
division.