Baltimore City Council
File #: 18-0219    Version: 0 Name: City Property - Naming the Fire Station, Located at 5714 Eastern Avenue, to be the Konstantine Prevas Fire Station
Type: Ordinance Status: Enacted
File created: 4/16/2018 In control: City Council
On agenda: Final action: 8/10/2018
Enactment #: 18-161
Title: City Property - Naming the Fire Station, Located at 5714 Eastern Avenue, to be the Konstantine Prevas Fire Station For the purpose of naming the fire station, located at 5714 Eastern Avenue, to be the Konstantine Prevas Fire Station.
Sponsors: Zeke Cohen, President Young, Brandon M. Scott, Isaac "Yitzy" Schleifer, John T. Bullock, Kristerfer Burnett
Indexes: City Property, City Property - Renaming, Fire Station, Naming
Attachments: 1. 18-0219~1st Reader, 2. Real Estate 18-0219, 3. Planning 18-0219, 4. Fire 18-0219, 5. Law 18-0219, 6. 18-0219~3rd Reader, 7. Completed File_18-0219

                     * Warning: This is an unofficial, introductory copy of the bill.

                     The official copy considered by the City Council is the first reader copy.

                     Introductory*

 

                     City of Baltimore

                     Council Bill          

                                                                                                                                                           

Introduced by: Councilmember Cohen

At the request of: The African American Fire Fighters Historical Society, Inc.

  Address: c/o George Collins, President, 3915 Maine Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21207

  Telephone: 410-258-7546                                                                                                                

                     A Bill Entitled

 

An Ordinance concerning

title

City Property - Naming the Fire Station, Located at 5714 Eastern Avenue, to be the Konstantine Prevas Fire Station

For the purpose of naming the fire station, located at 5714 Eastern Avenue, to be the Konstantine Prevas Fire Station.

body

 

By authority of

Article 5 - Finance, Property, and Procurement

Section 20-2

Baltimore City Code                     

(Edition 2000)

 

                     Recitals

 

In 1968, Mr. Konstantine Prevas, World War II veteran, attorney, and leader in Baltimore’s Greek community, was a member of the Baltimore City’s Board of Fire Commissioners.  At that time the Board of Fire Commissioners was the governing body over the Fire Department.  Although there had been, in 1953, a desegregation decision by the Board of Fire Commissioners, barriers of discrimination still remained, including segregation in some of Baltimore City’s fire houses.  In a vote to change this situation, Mr. Prevas cast the deciding vote to ensure impartiality, equality, and scrutiny of the system for all members of the Baltimore City Fire Department.

 

The following statement was released from an Executive Session of the Fire Board, held April 30, 1968:

 

“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.”.

 

 

Section 1.  Be it ordained by the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, That the fire station, home of Truck Company #20 and Medic #20 and located at 5714 Eastern Avenue, is named the Konstantine Prevas Fire Station.

 

Section 2.  And be it further ordained, That this Ordinance takes effect on the 30th day after the date it is enacted.