Chief Akin, of Birmingham, Resigns Chief J. L. Akin, of Birmingham, Ala., resigned as head of the Fire Department, thereby ending a thirty-three-year fire record. He was Chief for ten years. His resignation was followed by charges, a day later, that he entered a fire station and had a fistic encounter with a fireman. A committee of firemen announced that they intended to bring charges of “general unfitness,” against Chief Akin at a meeting of the Civil Service Board. Upon hearing of this, Chief Akin sent the following letter of resignation to be effective at once: “Holding the interest and welfare of the city of Birmingham above my personal ambitions, and for the sake of harmony in the Fire Department of the city, I hereby tender my resignation as Chief of the Fire Department of the city of Birmingham to become effective December 26, 1933.” On the day after he…
