CO Fire Department Sees First Black Recruit

A Colorado fire department welcomes its first African-American recruit with its current academy class, which started this month.

Even though it was founded in 1889, the Pueblo Fire Department has never had a black firefighter among its ranks. But that will change when Terrence Fantroy-Hankins graduates from the department's newest recruiting class, KRDO-TV reports.

"It amazes me that we haven't been able to recruit and retain a black firefighter," Chief Shawn Shelton told the TV station last summer. "It has been on our radar for a long time, and previous chiefs have talked about it."