Hello Michael and thank you for communicating in our guestbook. Allow us to educate you on fire service history and our organization. You stated that you've been in the fire service for 18 years, well the topic, question, and concern you have goes back to a time long before you were born. The international Association of Black Professional Firefighters was created because black firefighters were not welcome in the union or in the fire service at all. There was not an organization that represented or  looked after us.  That is why our organization was created and exist today. Our organization has evolved over the years to do so much more than that now with helping to address issues and concerns in the fire service that no one else is willing to seriously address. I encourage you to visit our website and look at our mission statement, purpose statement and preamble to get a true understanding of what our organization is about. Separation was never the original intent, in fact many black firefighters dreamed and hope to be accepted and be a "family" as you say in the fire service.  For most black Firefighters throughout history their efforts were in vain  and for some even today are still in vain regarding that dream in the fire service.