Evening star., 1954-09-18
FireCo!11panY
Integrdtion
Starts Today
IA Negroes Due
To Be Transferred
To White Divisions

10 VHttS OINlSlONS
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 adminis-
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 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. Is, Pennsylvania
avenue and TWenty-eighth 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. 3, Thirteenth and
K 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 flre-fighting units have
proven the balky element in the
lntegration picture. Their COM
plant, as expressed frequently
- by the firemenS union, IS against
white and colored fire-fighters
sharing quarters in the fire
houses.
Firemen's tours-of- duty alter
nately cover 10 to ii 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
fetal 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
a handful of white firemen would
resign in protest against the in
tegration move.
After ALL" one spokesman said,
Gin 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. Early, 20. of 1860 Benning
road Sc, Two years on the force. and
James !. Lipscomb. 25. of 6fO Gallatin
street NV, three years. both to Truck
Paul A, Galloway. 80. of 1452 savan-
Elmore, 80. of 2413 Seventeenth place
Sc. both tn Engine No. 5.
Oliver ., Davenport. 90. of 2415
Shannon place Sc, two years, from
Engine Nc, 7. and joseph L. Smith. Al,
Years. s both 70 TTaek avenue Ne ie NV" four
Samuel W. Jefferson. 81. of s45
Twenty first street NE. four years,
and James N. Ross, 81. of 1900 Rhode
Island avenre. NE. four years, both to
Engine No. "a.
William z. Davis 80. Of e1ss Eight
vim watson. 20. Of &c Adams ' street
NV, two years. both to Truck No. Ia.
Algie r. Lewis. a3, of 733 Sixth
seven years, both to Truck No. 3.
William B. Tompkins. a3. of aoo1
Savannah street Sc. 1--WE years. and
Oscar E.. Lyles. II. Of ASA street