on december 6, 1888, a black man, sam haskins, born a slave in 1840 from virginia, was listed in the census as an employed fireman for the city of los angeles, assigned to engine company #4. in 1892 haskins was appointed as a call man and assigned to engine #2, making him the first black man hired by the los angeles fire department. haskins was fatally injured on november 19, 1895 while responding to a fire call on 1st street. when the steamer he was riding on hit a bump in the road, haskins lost his balance and fell between the steamer's boiler and the wheel. he was the first firefighter of any race to die on duty with he los angeles fire department.