Black firefighters fighting bias in upgrading

By Roy Rydell

NEW YORK - Three African American firefighters with a total of 75 years of service in the New York City Fire Department have filed complaints of discrimination because they were denied transfers to posts they considered more desirable.

The three firemen, all of them lieutenants in the department, filed claims with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which is the first step towards bringing a federal lawsuit. Their attorney, Bonita Zelman, represents the Vulcan Society, an organization of Black firefighters concerned with countering racism in the city's Fire Department.

"It is offensive and appalling that at the turn of the century, African American firefighters comprise less than 3 percent of a fire department made up of approximately 11,000 firefighters," Zelman said in a press release.

Black firefighters are actually 2.92 of the department, 2.86 percent are Hispanic, and 93.98 are white - this in a city where African Americans are at least 28 percent of the population.

Black firefighters are a smaller proportion of the department than are Black policemen in their department in relation to population.

Norman Siegel, executive director of the New York chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, pointed out that the Atlanta Fire Department is 51.2 percent Black, and Birmingham, Alabama's Fire Department is 47 percent Black.

Lieut. Edward Alston, is a 37-year veteran of the department who said that his request to join the Marine Rescue Unit was denied in favor of a white candidate with less seniority. The department's spokesman said that the white candidate had previous service with a naval patrol boat in Vietnam.

Lieutenants Roderick Lewis, with 20 years in the department, and Michael Cuttino, an 18-year veteran, were both denied permission to transfer to specific ladder companies. The denials were attributed to "management discretion."

Many cities around the nation have taken steps to adopt Consent Decrees involving affirmative action measures to bring about greater integration and diversification of their Fire Departments.

New York City, especially under the Giuliani administration, has been reluctant to take such steps.