International Association of Black Professional Firefighters
Encyclopedia
The International Association of Black Professional Firefighters represents more than 5000 fire service personnel
throughout the United States
, Canada
, and the Caribbean
, organized in 96 chapters.
In September 1969, black
and minority
fire fighters of all rank
s from municipalities
across the United States
met in New York City
for two days of discussion on various problems and injustice
s affecting African-American firefighters: the recruitment
of black youth into the fire service, firefighters-community relations with special emphasis on relations with the residents of neighborhoods
inhabited by blacks, inter-group relations and practices in fire departments
, and the need to improve fire
prevention programs in the areas of greatest need. The meeting resulted in the founding of the International Association of Black Professional Fire Fighters. In October 1970, the first convention of Black Professional Fire Fighters was held in Hartford, Connecticut
. Its current president is Joseph Muhammad.
Firefighter
Firefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car incidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations...
throughout the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, organized in 96 chapters.
In September 1969, black
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
and minority
Minority group
A minority is a sociological group within a demographic. The demographic could be based on many factors from ethnicity, gender, wealth, power, etc. The term extends to numerous situations, and civilizations within history, despite the misnomer of minorities associated with a numerical statistic...
fire fighters of all rank
Police rank
- Australia :Generally, all police forces of Australia follow this rank structure with some individual state police forces have ranks differing slightly.Insignia of rank displayed on epaulette in italics and brackets...
s from municipalities
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
met in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
for two days of discussion on various problems and injustice
Injustice
Injustice is the lack of or opposition to justice, either in reference to a particular event or act, or as a larger status quo. The term generally refers to misuse, abuse, neglect, or malfeasance that is uncorrected or else sanctioned by a legal system. Misuse and abuse with regard to a particular...
s affecting African-American firefighters: the recruitment
Recruitment
Recruitment refers to the process of attracting, screening, and selecting qualified people for a job. For some components of the recruitment process, mid- and large-size organizations often retain professional recruiters or outsource some of the process to recruitment agencies.The recruitment...
of black youth into the fire service, firefighters-community relations with special emphasis on relations with the residents of neighborhoods
Neighbourhood
A neighbourhood or neighborhood is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town or suburb. Neighbourhoods are often social communities with considerable face-to-face interaction among members. "Researchers have not agreed on an exact definition...
inhabited by blacks, inter-group relations and practices in fire departments
Fire station
A fire station is a structure or other area set aside for storage of firefighting apparatus , personal protective equipment, fire hose, fire extinguishers, and other fire extinguishing equipment...
, and the need to improve fire
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
prevention programs in the areas of greatest need. The meeting resulted in the founding of the International Association of Black Professional Fire Fighters. In October 1970, the first convention of Black Professional Fire Fighters was held in Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
. Its current president is Joseph Muhammad.