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Alfred Ward was born in 1928 and was raised in South Philadelphia. I spoke with Alfred at his home in Mount Airy. Alfred joined the Philadelphia Fire Department on a whim in 1950 and retired 28 years later. He talks about how he went about learning to be a fireman at a time when training began the first day on the job.
From 1919 - 1952 the segregated Philadelphia Fire Department assigned african-american men to either Engine 11 or Fireboat 1. Alfred is one of five surviving retirees who worked at Engine 11 before the Philadelphia Fire Department was desegregated in 1952.
- Original Dimensions: 480x360
- Credit: mike feagans
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- Categories:
philastories, Engine 11, Alfred Ward
- Tags: african american fireman, alfred ward, digital storytelling, engine 11, fireman, oral history, philadelphia fire department
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