[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 16 (Tuesday, January 23, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S465]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       REMEMBERING REVEREND MARION BASCOM AND KONSTANTINE PREVAS

 Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize the 
50th anniversary of the appointment of Rev. Marion Bascom and 
Konstantine Prevas, Esq., to the Baltimore City Board of Fire 
Commissioners. These two men made significant contributions to the city 
of Baltimore and the Baltimore City Fire Department.
  On January 23, 1968, Reverend Bascom was sworn in by Mayor Thomas 
D'Alessandro III as Baltimore City's first African-American member of 
the Board of Fire Commissioners. Mr. Konstantine Prevas was also sworn 
in that day. Reverend Bascom was a minister and fighter for social and 
economic equity. Mr. Prevas was an attorney, WWII veteran, and a leader 
of the Greek community with a long family history in the Baltimore 
business community. These two men may not have known about the great 
task that lay ahead of them, yet they both undertook each challenge and 
opportunity with vigor and commitment. The Baltimore City Fire 
Department is the beneficiary of their outstanding and tireless 
efforts.
  Although Baltimore's fire department was desegregated in 1953 under 
the administration of Mayor Thomas D'Alessandro, Jr., in 1968, it still 
had vestiges of Jim Crow. Segregation inside the firehouses and 
unfairness in the areas of discipline and promotions were among the 
issues that needed to be addressed. Commissioners Bascom and Prevas 
were well-suited to lead the fight against these inequalities.
  Commissioner Bascom did not think that being the first African-
American in leadership of Baltimore's fire department was the key to 
change in an institution that had a legacy of nepotism. He always 
credited Commissioner Prevas for being the deciding vote on a three-
vote panel to move the department forward. Reverend Bascom would often 
say, ``Never forget the name of Konstantine Prevas. ``Gus'' Prevas was 
my friend. He voted with me on every issue that was of interest to 
Black people. If it was not for him, you still would be sitting on the 
Black toilet, sleeping in the Black bed, eating off the Black plate, 
drinking coffee out of the Black cup and washing up in the Black 
sink.''
  Thanks to the outstanding leadership of these two commissioners, the 
difficult challenges long facing the department were met with increased 
scrutiny and examination. The ``good old boy'' system, discrimination 
in assignments and promotions, bias in meting out discipline, and 
inequality in working and living conditions, all were finally being 
taken seriously. The African-American members of the department were 
invited to share their views of the issues that needed correction 
directly with the fire board. After a series of meetings, the following 
statement was released from an executive session of the fire board: 
``The Board wishes to clearly state that it is unalterably opposed to 
the unwritten rule that seems to prevail in a few isolated fire houses 
with respect to the use of beds, toilets and other facilities. All such 
facilities are provided by the City for use by all members and are not 
to be assigned on the basis of race. In short, if there are any 
``unwritten'' rules that cause discrimination in any form whatsoever, 
they will be eliminated immediately.''
  Commissioners Bascom and Prevas were not afraid to make waves to 
correct the injustices they observed. For example, they agreed to be 
witnesses in one of our Nation's first lawsuits to address 
discrimination in public safety. In addition, they helped the Baltimore 
business community acquire property to build a new ``super station'' in 
downtown Baltimore. While negative newspaper editorials endangered the 
project's funding and historic architectural considerations complicated 
its design and construction, the commissioners' support for the project 
was unwavering. Defending their plan, they asked who would question 
replacing obsolete firehouses that were 60 to 100 years old. As the 
records of the board of fire Commissioners state, ``In addition to the 
aesthetic benefits to the area involved, there will be but one new 
building to maintain as opposed to three old and costly buildings--and 
most important to all citizens--the fire house complex will afford an 
improved efficiency of response for the fire fighting units and 
ambulance units stationed therein.'' These consolidations created a 
more efficient and effective delivery of service to the hub of the 
city. The concept was so successful that it inspired construction of 
another large station on the east side of the city, which is home to 
eight fire service units and four specialty units. Firehouse Magazine 
has reported that Steadman Station was ``the Busiest Station in the 
Nation,'' having 3,000 more runs than the next busiest station in the 
country.
  The experience of the April 1968 riots exposed the inadequacy of the 
department's personal protective equipment. Observations during 
firefighting operations indicated a need for two-way hand-held radios, 
and several pieces of the second line apparatus did not conform with 
the Maryland Motor Vehicle Code. Once exposed, these matters became the 
priority of the members of the fire board until the funding was 
obtained and the equipment put into service.
  The fire board also created the emergency medical system of the 
Baltimore City Fire Department, whose mark on the city is apparent 
today. One example is the approval of a request from Dr. Gustav C. 
Voigt, director of the coronary care unit of Baltimore City Hospitals. 
Dr. Voigt presented a proposal for a pilot project for a specially 
equipped and staffed ambulance for heart attack patients. Many believe 
that early support for this project lay the foundation for today's 
basic and advanced life support service. The board also worked with 
fraternal organizations, firefighters and the community to promote the 
idea of Dr. Thomas J. Krisek, chief of plastic surgery, to establish a 
burn unit in city hospitals. That unit has become part of the Johns 
Hopkins Health System, known as Maryland's Regional Burn Center. The 
offer by the Bell System of a universal emergency number 911, education 
of the community concerning the pulling of false alarms, and 
enhancement of community outreach to improve relations between the 
public and members of the fire department were also significant 
initiatives undertaken by the board.
  The Baltimore City Fire Department is one of the most diverse and 
accomplished fire departments in our Nation. I am delighted to 
recognize its achievements and the lasting contributions of Rev. Marion 
Bascom and Konstantine Prevas.

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