Vanguards of Cleveland, Inc.     

A Local Chapter of the International Association of Black Professional Firefighters

Welcome to our home on the internet. We hope that you will find information or services here that will be helpful to your family or organization. Please stay safe and thanks for sharing in the journey.

Our Mission

To prevent fire death and injury in our community through education and intervention programs targeting the youth and elderly. Secondly strive to empower the youth of our community with the knowledge, skills and abilities that they need to become productive members of society through our vocational and mentoring programs. Lastly we work to support the recruitment, retention and promotion of individuals of color and women within the fire service nationwide.

Organization Profile

The Vanguards of Cleveland, an organization of Black and Hispanic firefighters in the city of Cleveland, Ohio, was organized in 1968. The purpose for forming such an organization was the cultivation and maintenance of professional competency among firefighters and the establishment of unity and brotherhood. It was also believed that the enlightenment of minority firefighters could occur by exchanging information, ideas, and experiences in order to develop solutions to the problems affecting them. The mounting community pressures of that time along with the growing internal tensions within the fire service served as the catalyst to forge the foundation of the organization.

In 1969 members of the organization traveled to New York to meet with other African American firefighters from around the country. The result of their historic meeting was that a convention site was selected in Hartford, Connecticut and in 1970 the International Association of Black Professional Firefighters was formed. The Vanguards of Cleveland have since dedicated themselves to the recruitment, retention and professional development of women and people of color within the fire service and, as a liaison to the community, the Vanguards are continuing to develop programs to educate the citizens of our community in the area of fire safety and fire prevention practices.

Contact Information

Telephone

(216) 820-1370

FAX

(216) 420-7856

Postal address

17703 Grovewood Avenue Cleveland, Ohio 44119

Electronic mail

General Information: info@vanguardsofcleveland.org
Webmaster: tluke@vanguardsofcleveland.org

Send mail to tluke@vanguardsofcleveland.org with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2008 Vanguards of Cleveland Inc.
Last modified: 07/03/08