INDIANAPOLIS — February is Black History Month, and we're celebrating Black firefighters in Indianapolis.
You can learn the history in the new Indianapolis Black Firefighters Museum, which is set to open in April.
The first four Black firefighters joined the department in 1876. Four years later, the first all-Black fire station opened in the city. The Indianapolis Fire Department was finally integrated in 1960.
The Indianapolis Black Firefighters Association was established in 1992. There are currently 203 members, five of whom are women. These firefighters continue to make history every day.
"That just makes you serve with a much greater purpose," Indianapolis BFA president Corey Floyd said. "It's on their shoulders that we stand. Those are our ancestors. Those are our pioneers, those patriarchs that stood before us. We wouldn't be able to have this career without being able to stand on their shoulders and the trail they blazed for us."
By educating the community on this history, they hope to continue to build bridges with the people they serve.
"When you represent the community and you look like the community and the people you serve, it puts another level of trust, and it makes us more compassionate because we can understand how these people are feeling and what they're doing," said Trasey Graham, the organization's vice president.
The museum is located at Old Station 31 near 46th Street and North College Avenue.
Click here for more information about the Indianapolis Black Firefighters Association and the museum.