Black organizations called yesterday for greater efforts by the Baltimore Fire Department to increase its minority recruiting.
Led by the Vulcan Blazers, a black firefighters group, the organizations held a news conference to publicize the extension of an application deadline for a Fire Department apprenticeship program from July 3 to Friday.
Thurman O. Pugh, president of the Vulcan Blazers, said the news conference was needed because the department had not publicized the program vigorously enough since the application period began June 16.
Department spokesman Michael Maybin defended the department's efforts. He noted that Donnie Reed, assistant to Fire Chief Herman Williams Jr., visited city schools to tell students about working for the department.
"We had no indication that there was a problem with the procedure that was used in posting the position," Maybin said.
Maybin said he didn't know the number of minority members in the department. Pugh said there are 436 among the nearly 1,700 firefighters.
Given that, Pugh said, there should have been a special effort made to inform possible applicants in Baltimore.
"We don't think they've made much of an effort at all," Pugh said. "No one knew until we brought this into the forefront this week."
Pub Date: 7/08/97
