Letters to the Editor
Racism Still Alive in FDNY

To the Editor:

If you were to ask most people to describe the characteristics they believe firefighters have, or what is it that makes firefighters special, I'm sure you would receive answers such as: they are angels, they are very brave, etc..

Although this may be true, the FDNY has a history that doesn't receive its rightful share of publicity. In the early part of the 1900s, black men began to join the New York City Fire Department. When these men arrived at their assigned firehouses, they were met with racism.

Those brave black pioneers decided to organize and take a stand against the mistreatment of black firefighters. In 1940, the Vulcan Society was established. The Vulcan Society has been in the forefront when it comes to fighting injustice against so-called minorities in this department.

When women began to pass the written exam in the late 1970s, they were confronted by stiff resistance. It was the Vulcan Society that assisted the women entering the Fire Department. The Vulcan Society has had very honorable and respectable presidents to lead this great organization. Upstanding men like Vincent Julius, Dave Floyd, James Lee, Robert Turner Sr., Elbert Washington, Carl Havens, Delbert Coward, and Paul Washington. These men are all well-respected in the fire service and are the perfect example of how men should behave. I would be remiss if I did not tell you that these men set a standard that would make anyone who ever took the time to know them proud.

The Vulcan Society has assisted young men and women with written exam tutorials for the FDNY Firefighter position for many years. The last Firefighter exam produced better results than previous exams for women, Asians, Hispanics, and blacks.

Now the Vulcan Society is being accused of cheating. Our accuser did not just end there, he elaborated on this great conspiracy, suggesting that the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) was also in on this "cheating."

What Paul Mannix (Jan. 25 letter) did not include in his tirade of deception was the truth. The Vulcan Society chose to use its resources to hire someone knowledgeable of testing strategies which are used in fire departments throughout the country, for this is what one does rather than point fingers.

How dare you accuse the Vulcan Society of cheating? As we clearly see, racism in the Fire Department is alive and well. Those who speak half-truths and lies only do it because they are afraid. They are afraid to openly compete. They are afraid that others will benefit from this career as they have, and mostly they are afraid that they will lose employment to the very people they so dislike. The mindset of individuals who are charged with the duty of protecting life should be one that is reasonable, fair, and just.

Instead, the New York City Fire Department has individuals like Paul Mannix patrolling various diverse neighborhoods with malice and discontent for the very people he has sworn to protect. The top brass in the FDNY has not made a public statement denouncing these ridiculous remarks. Would that not lead one to believe that it is because they approve of it? Change begins with the leaders of an administration.

For the past eight years, the Vulcan Society's past president, Paul Washington, has been attacked on every issue from recruitment to physical training.

Interestingly enough, the Emeralds (the FDNY Irish organization), the Columbian Association (the FDNY Italians), and the Pulaski Association (the FDNY Polish organization) all recruit for their organizations, but there is no record of an attack against any of these organizations. The only set-asides that exist in the FDNY are those instituted by the good ol' boys club for the benefit of white men.

The self-appointed FDNY overseer stated, "I believe everyone should be treated equally," yet when at meetings with other FDNY organizations, Deputy Chief Mannix refused to acknowledge any valid point the women in the FDNY presented.

Let me be clear: no one is born to be a firefighter. As in many other professions, one has to perform to become proficient. Women, Asians, blacks and Hispanics are all capable of becoming New York firefighters. The time has come for this department to reflect the city which it serves.

Some would have you believe the Vulcan Society is alienating the new members of the FDNY by having press coverage highlighting the lack of diversity during graduations. If you look at history, those who oppose change would always state this is not the time.

Just imagine if Dr. Martin Luther King would have listened to his opposition; what would that have accomplished? You guessed it. Nothing. Dr. King also stated that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. The late Dr. King was then and is now unconditionally correct.

It is time for like-minded agents of change to stand against the outdated, twisted, and self-appointed racists in the New York City Fire Department. All elected officials have a responsibility to their constituents. Those responsibilities include, but are not limited to, affordable housing, health-care accessibility, employment, education, and safety.

If the elected officials continue to allow dangerous bigots to be the voice of any department, then those elected officials have failed us all.

Simply stated, the disproportionate distribution of city employment is not acceptable and has to change if the city's administrators are concerned about the city's future financial welfare.

The City of New York will benefit greatly with more city residents of diverse backgrounds in the Fire Department. Those diverse members bring a new dynamic and understanding to the communities in which they will serve. Think of the economic impact it will have on this city. More often than not, people spend money where they live.

JOHN COOMBS, President, Vulcan Society