Ideas and suggestions were made available to the five visitors from Hartford, enabling them in a short time after returning home, to hold their own organizational meeting, thereby establishing the basis for the Phoenix Society.
On creating the entity, the incorporating officers were: * Denotes originating member The Phoenix Society was named a sponsoring organization of the first Conference of Black Professional Firefighters held in New York City in 1969.
The Phoenix Society felt then, as we do now, that the unique experience of the Black Firefighter has not changed over the years, and we will help to recruit and advance diversity training of the fire service whereas a person in search of a profession can feel free to take the tests and qualifying exams, and on passing walk into any firehouse, anywhere, and be accepted on their own merits — it will be only then that we can say that our American Dream has borne fruit.
The Society felt this to be the defining milestone reached by Black Firefighters at the time due to our effort to improve and advance the standards to the fire service throughout the country.
The IABPFF should not be viewed as a Black separatist organization; its chapters are autonomous, as many union locals and city governments have failed to institute diversity plans in the testing, recruiting and the promotional process.