OUR HISTORY Forged in Fire: The Unfinished Fight for Equality in the St. Louis Fire Department 1921: A Foot in the Door, But Not a Seat at the Table In 1921, the St. Louis Fire Department hired its first Black firefighters. Though historic, this milestone was far from progress.

The Firefighters Institute for Racial Equality (F.I.R.E.) is a trailblazing organization that has stood as a beacon of advocacy, empowerment, and justice for over five decades. Rooted in the heart of St. Louis, F.I.R.E.