From WBAL TV: The Baltimore Fire Department established hiring procedures in 2004 that were designed to make the department more diverse. But the department seems to be struggling to meet them.

Nearly all of the 45 graduates of the May fire academy are white men except for five African-Americans and three women. Of another class of 45 cadets that started instruction this week, 29 are Caucasian, 12 are African-American and all of them are men.

In a city where African-Americans make up 63.2% of the population, the 11 News I-Team could find little evidence that the department is actively seeking minority candidates.

A city representative told the I-Team that the fire department's last recruitment efforts took place more than two years ago when officials visited 20 places, including schools, churches and community events. The 11 News I-Team attempted to contact representatives at all 20 locations, but half had no recollection or documentation to support the fire department's claim. Read the entire article here.