Among the Fire Fans

Otis Smith
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Among the Fire Fans

THE writer enjoyed a visit with the Fire Bell Club of New York a few weeks back. Several pleasant hours were spent with the members at the club room on W. 33rd. St. A visit also was made to the National Defense Exposition at the Grand Central Palace. The New York Fire Department put on nightly demonstrations, using a portable drill tower and members of the department’s World’s Fair drill team. Representative apparatus of the department was on display in the background.

Many thanks to Bell Club members for bearing with me on those prolonged fire telegraph discussions. The private alarm hell in the club quarters was too fascinating to the writer to be lightly passed over.

The Emergency Fire Defense Unit of the Baltimore. Md., Fire Department has reached the second stage. All holders of fire line cards have now been contacted, and invited to register for this volunteer service. Those on the list for fire department appointment have already been contacted. The general public will next be solicited.

“Pyro” reports the first death of an auxiliary fireman in New York city, in the station of Engine 80 and Truck 23 in West 139th St. Frank J. Devine, a Post Office clerk, died as he entered the firehouse to report. Commissioner Walsh authorized an escort of one captain, a lieutenant and 12 firemen at his funeral.

A number of photos on auxiliary firemen were received from Peter Dicke, 855 Forest Ave., West New Brighton. N. Y. The photos show apparatus and men in a recent demonstration at New York’s City Hall Plaza. Quite an inspiring sight for the buff.

The first Fall meeting of Box 9, Attleboro, Mass., was held Oct. 2, at Central Fire Station. City Councillor John Wolfenden, presided as president of the group. Sec. Walker exhibited four reels of motion pictures at the meeting. Mr. Walker would he interested in hearing from other fan groups, regarding entertainment at meetings.

A copy of the convention book of the Michigan State Fire Fighters Association is on hand, through the courtesy of Lieut. Joseph Gibbons. Many photos of old and new apparatus are shown in the hook. Altogether, an interesting addition to the writer’s collection.

Also on hand is the program book of the 19th Annual Field Day of the Detroit Fire Department. This book likewise contains a large number of photos. One item in the book will interest fire telegraph fans. According to the book, the operators make a check after every alarm, by calling the stations scheduled to respond, in order to make certain the stations have been promptly vacated. This prevents a company remaining in quarters when it ought to respond.

The toughest job ever performed by the San Francisco Fire Department is chronicled by the Phoenician News, journal of the Phoenix Society. It seems that an entire monastery lay in packing cases, padded with straw, and piled in the open. Each case weighed about 1500 lbs., and were arranged in piles about thirty five feet high and fifty feet square.

A fire got out of control among the thousands of packing cases and gave the department a twenty-four hour battle, the hot stone turning the water to steam, necessitating the removal of each case from the pile in order to extinguish it. . . . Robert Allen, San Francisco, sent some photos of a new pumper in the Bay area. . . . Howard Larcomhe sent some good photos of fire apparatus, showing views of Baltimore, Md., pumpers.

A Baltimore (Md.) fire fan group, with which the writer had no contact, received a setback recently. It was reported in the columns of a local newspaper that the group had. in effect, been disapproved of by the department. We also understand that the attention of the firemen has been called to the fireline card regulations, which forbid holders of fiire-line cards to enter buildings in which firemen are at work.

To Lieut. John Jordan, Columbus, Ohio. . . . this writer will be pleased to supply you with all your desired type of data that can be properl assembled . . . John A. Tichler of Paterson, N. J., announces the organization of a buff unit, but neglects to mention the representative age level of the group, or fire department affiliations. The writer would like to hear more from Mr. Tichler on this subject. … at long last, a word from Jimmie Jackson of Oswego, N. Y. Jimmie reports that he is too busy at his work just at present to maintain a very steady flow of models. The brass connections for fire apparatus models are now very difficult to obtain.

Fire Engineering Index Available

The index to Volume 94, Fire Engineering, is now available, and will be mailed to those who request a copy.

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Among the Fire Fans

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Among the Fire Fans

BALTIMORE, Md., fire fans are due to receive invitations to join an auxiliary fire brigade. The new brigade is being formed by the Board of Fire Commissioners of Baltimore. Invitations have already been sent to all men on the department appointment list. All holders of fire line cards will next be contacted, followed by a general call to all cititzens.

The departmental drill school will be opened to the volunteers, with a second drill school to be constructed as soon as the size of the enrollment warrants it. Trailer type pumps will then be spotted about the city, with volunteer crews to man them. This move has been eagerly awaited by the city’s fire fans, who have been hearing of the brigades recently formed in other cities.

We note that the New York Fire Department is having little difficulties in the training of auxiliary fire fighters. “Pyro” tells of an aerial ladder demonstration in the Bronx, where the firemen had to struggle to make themselves heard above the “L” trains, and of having to lower the ladder on two occasions in order to respond to alarms of fire.

Johnny Weisberger, the New York reporter and buff, is now an honorary member of the N.Y.F.D. Rifle and Revolver Club . . . buff Gordon Mullins showed two reels of fire thrillers at a recent meeting of the Holy Name Society of the New York Fire Department.

The Office of Production Management has requested manufacturers not to make any more sedan-type engines, quintuple types, service ladder trucks, or squad, salvage, and reserve cars. The OPM states that the work done by these types can be performed by other types of equipment.

The new rescue wagon of the Baltimore, Md,, fire department presents a rather unusual appearance. The writer has snapshots of the wagon and will be glad to exchange a few with the readers.

An interesting set of pictures of a gasoline tanker on fire were received from Joseph Orendorf, Detroit. Mr. Orendorf lives at 3524 Lawton Ave., that city … to Happy Taborek, Chicago. How about sending me your new address?

Fans will be interested in the book entitled “Manual of Instruction, N.Y.F.D.”, and published by E. P. Dutton & Co. The book goes into fine detail on everything that is expected of a New York fireman. Fire telegraphy fans will especially like the chapter on the fire alarm code of signals.

A limited supply of Convention Year Books are being held for fire fans, by the Highland Park (Mich.) Fire Fighters’ Association. The actual cost price (60c) plus postage, is requested of all who write for a copy of the hook. This information from Lieut. Joseph B. Gibbons, Engine No. 2, Highland Park, Mich.

Lawrie Clark, Newton, Mass., model builder recently received publicity in the Boston Evening Traveller. The article featured Mr. Clark’s scale size fire apparatus models . . . which reminds this writer that Jimmie Jackson, the old Oswego model maker, has not been heard from in some time.

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