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SHartland Winters

Wayne's Stuff # 15

                BUYING  ON OUR OWN, FROM J.C. PENNYS, THE FIRST PERMANENT PRESS  WORK UNIFORMS ?
 

                 STRETCHING ON EVERYTHING AS NO ENGINE CARRIED WATER?
 

                  STRETCHING THE 2  1/2  LINE ON ALL GARAGE FIRES AS THAT WAS "THE RULE"
 

                  MOVING A 2  1/2 " LINE THAT WASN'T REAL HARD BY GRABBING IT AND PULLING IT TOWARD YOU.
                  IT WOULD SOMETIMES SUDDENLY KINK AND PINCH THE HECK OUT OF YOUR FINGERS.  YOU
                  WOULD QUICKLY LOOK AROUND HOPING NOBODY WOULD NOTICE. THEN YOU WOULD SAY
             $#@%*&%$#@$%^   IF IT WAS WINTER AND YOUR PINCHED FINGERS WERE FROZEN YOU WOULD THEN
                    SAY @#$#%&*&^%$#@#$%$
   DO YOU REMEMBER?
        HATING TO "DUMP THE CAN" AS IT WAS SODA AND ACID AND WAS A REAL PAIN IN THE %$%
                     TO RECHARGE .  THE ACID WAS IN A LARGE BOTTLE PLACED INSIDE THAT OLD WOODEN BOX
                    THAT YOU TILTED TO POUR INTO A PITCHER.  THEN YOU POURED ACID FROM THAT PITCHER INTO
                    A GLASS FUNNEL THAT WAS HELD ON THE LIP OF THE EXTINGUISHER ACID BOTTLE CAN YOU
                    IMAGINE WHAT "OSHA" WOULD SAY ABOUT THAT OPERATION TODAY?
 

                  DUMPING THE SEWER BY FILLING TWO LARGE GARBAGE CANS FULL OF WATER AND "AT THE COUNT
                    OF  3" TIPPING THEM OVER INTO THE CENTER ENGINE HOUSE SEWER.................SWOOOSSSSSHHHH
                      WENT THE WATER.....HOPFULLY.
 

                    WHEN THERE WAS A RULE ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO WORK ON OUR LEAVE DAY,  SO WE KEPT
                     IT QUIET.
 

                    WHEN  FRIDAY WAS FISH DAY AND SATURDAY WAS STEAK DAY
 

                    THOSE OLD TWO PIECE DRIPALATOR COFFEE POTS THAT THE WATER BOILED UP TO THE TOP
                     FUNNEL AND THEN BECAME TOP HEAVY AND AT TIMES TOPPLED OVER
 DO YOU REMEMBER?
 

MAKE SOMEONE SMILE TODAY
WAYNE
 

 DO YOU REMEMBER

BEING TURNED AROUND IN A SMOKE FILLED BUILDING  AND DIDN'T HAVE ANY IDEA OF WHICH WAY WAS

 OUT.

HOW FAST SOME FIRES  WENT FROM AN ORDINARY FIRE TO ONE THAT WAS "REALLY COOKIN"

GOING UP ON A ROOF THAT YOU  KNEW YOU SHOULD HAVE USED A ROOF LADDER BUT YOU KNEW YOUR GUYS

 NEEDED A  HOLE NOW  , SO YOU CLIMBED UP THE STEEP ROOF WITHOUT ONE.
 

 DID YOU EVER

JAM THE JACKS DOWN TOO FAR ON THE ONES THAT CAME DOWN ON AN ANGLE.

THE ONLY WAY YOU COULD RAISE THEM WAS TO EXTEND THE AERIAL TO ONE SIDE TO TAKE   THE PRESSURE

  OFF THE OTHER SIDE.

 THEN YOU COULD RISE THAT SIDES JACKS. YOU WOULD REPEAT THIS WITH THE OTHER SIDE IF THE FIRST

 SIDE WERE STILL JAMMED


 DID YOU KNOW

THAT PRIOR TO THE EARLY 1930S THE APPARATUS MANUFACTURES DID NOT INSTALL

 WINDSHIELDS ON THEIR RIGS

DID YOU KNOW

THAT BLANKETS WERE KEPT ON   THE STEAMERS FOR THE HORSES. AFTER THE HORSES WERE

 UNHITCHED THEY WERE LED TO A SAFER AREA WHERE THE DRIVER COVERED THEM .
 

DID YOU KNOW

THAT BESIDE THEM HAVING A TILLER ON THE

 TRACTOR / TRAILER TRUCKS

THEY ALSO HAD A TILLER ON SOME LONG STRAIGHT TRUCKS.

THESE  LADDER TRUCKS DIDN'T HAVE ANY

 5TH WHEEL FOR A PIVOT POINT.

 IT WAS A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT WAY OF TILLERING


DID YOU KNOW

THAT IN THE LATE 1700S   FIREMEN WORE CAPES TO PROTECT THEM FROM THE FIRE.

LATER ON THE CAPES BECAME MORE OF A FANCY DECORATION AT PARADES AND WERE NO

 LONGER USED  AT THE FIRE SCENE.


DID YOU KNOW

THAT THE EARLY PUMPERS NOT ONLY HAD SCROLL WORK BUT ARTIST WERE HIRED TO

 DO ACTUAL PAINTINGS TO MAKE THEIR RIG FANCIER THEN THE OTHERS

DID YOU KNOW

THAT THERE WERE FINES FOR SOME  VOLUNTEERS IN THE 1800s

NO HELMET WORN AT A FIRE  $ .25

NO BADGE WORN ON SHIRT  $ .25

SMOKING A CIGAR  $ .25

CHEWING TOBACCO  $ .25

FAILURE TO ATTEND A MEETING $ .50

DISCUSSING POLITICS AT A MEETING  $1.00

IMPROPER BEHAVIOR AT A MEETING  $1.00

SWEARING AT A MEETING  $ 1.00

COMING TO A MEETING INTOXICATED  $ 1.00

MAKE SOMEONE SMILE TODAY
WAYNE
 

DO YOU REMEMBER

IF THE DEPARTMENT PHONE   "RANG" IT WAS JUST A PHONE CALL.

IF THE DEPARTMENT PHONE "JINGLED" IT WAS AN  "RUN"

DO YOU REMEMBER

THE NAMES OF THOSE TWO POLES THAT YOU HELD SUPPORTING THE 50" LADDER.

SCROLL DOWN OLD TIMER


SCROLL DOWN SOME MORE


A LITTLE MORE


"FOLLOWERS"

DO YOU REMEMBER

HOW HARD IT WAS TO HOOK UP THE HARD SUCTION AT ALL MULTIPLES

AS YOUNG "WHIPPER SNAPPERS" YOU JUST WANTED TO
 "GET IN THERE" BUT NOW ACCORDING TO THE RULES YOU HAD TO HOOK UP  THE

HARD   SUCTIONS .  ON THE SOFT SUCTION IT JUST TOOK ONE MAN. ON THE HARD SUCTIONS  IT TOOK 4

 OF YOU..  

THEN IF THE ENGINEER DIDN'T JUDGE THE DISTANCE RIGHT HE HAD TO EITHER MOVE THE RIG

 UP OR BACK AS THERE WASN'T MUCH GIVE IN BENDING THE HARD SUCTIONS .

 YOU JUST WANTED TO GET IN THE ACTION OF PUTTING THE FIRE OUT RATHER THEN FOOLING WITH THOSE

 SUCTIONS.


 CAN YOU REMEMBER

WHEN YOU OLD FARTS WERE YOUNG

"WHIPPER SNAPPERS"


DID YOU KNOW


THE FIRST RUN OF THE  THE EMS WAS

 9:41 AM,

JUNE 19,

1972

DID YOU KNOW

THAT IT WAS JUST A "MYTH"

THAT THE MIXTURE OF SODA WATER AND ACID IN  THE

CHEMICAL ENGINES

 WAS MORE EFFECTIVE IN SMOTHERING A FIRE THEN JUST PLAIN WATER.

IT WAS JUST AN ADVERTISEMENT STRATEGY

 
DID YOU KNOW

THAT SOME OF THE FIRST STAIRWAYS IN SOME FIREHOUSES WERE SPIRAL STAIRCASES

AS ACCORDING TO STORIES SOME OF THE HORSES LEARNED TO CLIMB STRAIGHT STAIRWAYS


DID YOU KNOW
THAT THE "FIRST FIREPOLE" WAS AN
 
OILED 3"   DIAMETER

 WOODEN ONE IN THE YEAR

 1878.
 
DID YOU KNOW

THE STORY BEHIND THE DESIGN OF OUR

"OFFICIAL FIREMEN'S BELT"

IT COULD , IN AN EMERGENCY, BE USED IF ANY PART OF THE HORSES HARNESS BROKE.

I NEVER READ THIS ANYWHERE. IT'S WHAT AN "OLDTIMER" TOLD ME WHEN I CAME ON THE JOB.

MAKE SOMEONE SMILE TODAY
WAYNE
 

A HORSE DRAWN STEAMER RUN

THE MAN ON  WATCH SAT AT THE WATCH DESK, KEEPING AN EYE ON THE HORSES AND

 HOT WATER GAUGE ON THE STEAMER AND ANY OTHER EVENTS THAT TRANSPIRED.

HE KEPT A  DAILY JOURNAL . 

AT THE SOUND OF AN ALARM THE MEN RESPONDED TO THE FIRST FLOOR BY STAIRS OR

 POLE, IF THEY HAD ONE.

WHEN AN ALARM CAME IN, SOME STATIONS HAVING AUTOMATIC HOOKUPS , THE STALLS

 DOORS OR CHAINS DROPPED,   RELEASING THE HORSES.

THE HORSES WENT TO THEIR PLACES , SOME ON THEIR OWN, OTHERS WITH ASSISTANCE.

THE DRIVER OPERATED THE ROPE PULLEYS TO DROP THE HARNESSES ON THE HORSES.

THE HARNESS PULLEY SYSTEM HAD COUNTER

 WEIGHTS THAT TOOK ALL ROPES AND PULLEYS OUT

 OF THE WAY AFTER THEY WERE SNAPPED UP.

THE CREW SNAPPED THE COLLAR AND HARNESSES ON THE HORSES

THE HORSES ALWAYS HAD THEIR BIT IN THEIR

 MOUTHS, EXCEPT WHEN EATING. OTHERWISE IT

 WOULD HAVE TAKEN  LONGER TO PUT IT IN ON

RECEIVING AN ALARM .

THE ENGINEER OR STOKER BY VARIOUS MEANS, LIT THE BOILER FURNACE,

THE  HOT WATER COUPLINGS WERE REMOVED AUTOMATICALLY OR MANUALLY

THE ENGINEER AND STOKER JUMPED ON THE BACK

THE DRIVER  DROVE THE RIG TO THE FIRE

THE DRIVER UNHITCHED THE HORSES AND EITHER LED THEM AWAY TO SAFER AREAS OR

 USED THEM TO GET THE COAL WAGON

THE ENGINEER OPERATED THE STEAMER

THE STOKER SHOVELED THE COAL TO THE STEAMER

IN SOME DEPARTMENTS THE ENGINEER WAS HIS OWN STOKER.

IN SOME  DEPARTMENTS THE DRIVER OF THE HOSE WAGON BECAME THE STOKER

THE ENGINEER BLEW HIS STEAM WHISTLE  TO INDICATE HE NEEDED MORE COAL

 DELIVERED TO HIS STEAMER.

THE STOKER MADE SURE THAT THE ASHES WERE  KEPT FROM UNDER THE STEAMER AS

 THERE WAS THE DANGER OF THE WHEELS CATCHING FIRE.

AFTER THE FIRE THE ENGINEER AND STOKER HAD TO MAKE SURE THE FIRE POT WAS ALL

 CLEANED OUT AND MADE READY  FOR THE NEXT RUN.

MAKE SOMEONE SMILE TODAY
WAYNE
 

REMEMBER THIS

I DIDN'T TILL I READ IN ONE OF THE MANY FIRE BOOKS I HAVE BEEN READING ABOUT THE MENTION OF A
"PICKAROON".  I NEVER HEARD OF ONE AND HAD TO GO ON THE WEB SEARCHING MANY

 SITES TO FIND OUT WHAT IT WAS. AS SOON AS I SAW IT I DID REMEMBER SEEING ONE ON EITHER LADDER 4

 OR LADDER 22  IN 1962 OR 1963 (TRUCK SERVICE OR 1ST ASSIGNED TRUCK)

I ASKED WHAT IT WAS AND WHAT IT WAS USED FOR.  THEY JUST CALLED IT A PICK AND TOLD ME THAT THEY

 HEARD THAT SOME OF THE REAL OLD TIMERS USED IT TO STRIP THE WOOD SHINGLES ON THE WOODEN

 SHINGLED ROOFS THAT THEY HAD BACK IN THE OLD DAYS BEFORE I CAME ON THE JOB.

LIKE MANY TOOLS WE HAD MANY HAD USES PRIOR TO BEING USED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.

THE PICKAROON CAME FROM THE LOGGING INDUSTRY  AND WAS USED

 TO  MOVE AND CONTROL LOGS DURING WINCHING .
 

HEY GUYS REMEMBER THIS

"THE BOX"

REMEMBER AS A YOUNG "WHIPPER SNAPPER"  YOUR JOB, IF DETAILED TO THE SQUAD, WAS TO

 "GET THE BOX"  

THIS WAS ALL BEFORE EMS.   SQUADS AND THE POLICE STATION

 WAGONS HANDLED ALL  "SPECIALS".

THIS RESUSCITATOR ISN'T EXACTLY LIKE OURS, BUT IT IS CLOSE , OUR CONTROL VALVES

 WERE A DIFFERENT COLOR AND SHAPE.  ALSO AS YOU CAN SEE THE TWO TANKS ARE MISSING

MAKE SOMEONE SMILE TODAY
WAYNE
 

DID YOU KNOW

THAT WHILE OUR HOMES MAY HAVE ONLY ONE FIREPLACE THE EARLY HOUSE HAD MULTIPLY

 FIREPLACES . WITH EACH ONE IT INCREASED THE CHANCES OF A FIRE.


THAT TO WARM OTHER ROOMS THAT DID NOT HAVE A FIREPLACE, THEY WOULD PUT COALS

  FROM THE FIREPLACE IN A PAN AND CARRY IT TO THAT ROOM.  SOMETIMES THE PAN WAS

 DROPPED AND ANOTHER FIRE WAS STARTED.
 
DID YOU KNOW

THAT THE FLAMES WERE SPREAD FASTER IN THOSE OLD COMMUNITIES AS THE HOUSES WERE

 BUILT TOO CLOSE TO ONE ANOTHER

 IT  IS JUST LIKE SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS HERE IN DETROIT.  SOME OLD NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE

 ROOFS EDGES ABOUT 3 FEET APART. WHEN ONE HOUSE CATCHES FIRE THE TWO ONES ON EACH SIDE ALSO

 CATCH FIRE.  ALSO UNLIKE OUR SHINGLES THAT STICK TOGETHER DUE TO A TAR LIKE SUBSTANCE ON

 THEM

 THE OLD WOOD SHINGLES  ONCE BURNED FROM THE ROOF BOARDS WOULD FLY, FROM THE WIND,

 THROUGH OUT THE AREA, SPREADING EVEN MORE FIRE.

LATER ON THE LAW WAS ENACTED THAT NEW HOUSES HAD TO BUILT OF BRICK OR STONE WITH SLATE OR

 TILE ROOFS.

DID YOU KNOW

IN THE EARLY TIMES IF YOU CAUSED A FIRE YOU COULD BE FINED.

IF YOUR HOUSE WAS IN THE PATH OF A FIRE AND IT WAS DEEMED NECESSARY THE COMMUNITY

 COULD  EITHER ORDER IT TO BE PULLED DOWN OR BLOWN UP WITH GUNPOWDER    

SOMETIMES, WHEN THEY BLEW IT UP, IT ALSO CAUGHT IT ON FIRE ..THEREFORE IT NOW ADDED TO THE

 SPREAD OF FIRE


DID YOU KNOW

THAT BACK THEN, IN SOME COMMUNITIES, EVERY HOUSE HAD TO HAVE A LADDER THAT REACHED THEIR

 ROOF  ALONG WITH A POLE, WITH A SWAB ON THE END, TO PUT OUT ROOF FIRES.


DID YOU KNOW

THAT THE FIRST HAND TUB DIDN'T HAVE ANY WHEELS.  IT HAD TO BE HAND CARRIED TO THE FIRE.

THE EARLY HAND PUMPERS COULD DELIVER FROM 30 TO 170 GALLONS A MINUTES.


MAKE SOMEONE SMILE TODAY
WAYNE
 

DID YOU KNOW

THAT IN SOME COMMUNITIES A FIREMARK WAS HUNG AT THE SECOND FLOOR LEVEL SO IT COULDN'T BE

 STOLEN.

MANY EARLY FIREMARKS WERE MELTED DOWN AND MADE INTO "BULLETS" DURING THE

 REVOLUTIONARY WAR.

DID YOU KNOW

SOME OF THE EARLY ARSONIST WERE

"HUNG"

"SHOT"

"BURNED AT THE STAKE"

"BAYONETED"

DID YOU KNOW

PRIOR TO 1785 THE FIRE APPARATUS  HAD TO BE TURNED TO HAVE ITS STATIONARY NOZZLE APPLY WATER

 TO DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE BUILDING FIRE. THE NOZZLE WAS OF A FIXED TYPE

AFTER THIS DATE A GOOSENECK PUMPER HAD A CONNECTOR AT THE END OF THE NOZZLE PERMITTING A

  VARIED DIRECTIONAL APPLICATION OF WATER.


DID YOU KNOW
IN COLONIAL TIMES
SOME ENGINES CARRIED AN ATTACHED KEG ON THEIR APPARATUS WITH
 "WARMING BEVERAGES" FOR THE MEN.


DID YOU KNOW

HOSE WAS ALSO KNOWN AS:
HOOSE
HOASE
HAUSE

DO YOU REMEMBER THE EXPRESSION

LOCK-IN.................................AS IN LOCKING INTO A LADDER

SEE, NOW YOU REMEMBER

DID YOU KNOW

TO BE PASSED BY ANOTHER COMPANY ON THE WAY TO A FIRE WAS AN INSULT.,
 LIKE SOMEONE BEATING US TO OUR FIRE.

IF IT APPEARED ANOTHER COMPANY WAS ABOUT TO PASS YOU, RATHER THEN FACE THIS INSULT SOME COMPANIES WOULD "FAKE" AN ENGINE REPAIR PROBLEM.
 
 A STOPPING FOR A REPAIR DIDN'T COUNT AS BEING PASSED

DID YOU KNOW

IN 1803, THE FIRST BELL  CLANGED  WITH THE RIGS MOVEMENT, AS IT WAS ATTACHED

 TO A SPRING LIKE BRACKET

AROUND THAT SAME ERA SOME COMPANIES CONNECTED A BELLOWS TO THE SPRINGS OF

 THE RIG AND IT BLEW THROUGH A WHISTLE

MAKE SOMEONE SMILE TODAY
WAYNE
 

CAN YOU IMAGINE

A LARGE NUMBER OF MEN, IN LINE, PULLING BY ROPES, A  LARGE HEAVY ENGINE, DOWN A

 UNLIT BUMPY COBBLESTONE / DIRT STREET WITH NO BRAKES OTHER THEN SOME OF THE MEN

 IN BACK TO PULL ON ROPES.

NEEDLESS TO SAY THERE WERE ACCIDENTS WITH THE MEN STUMBLING AND BEING RUN OVER.

 THERE WERE SERIOUS INJURIES AND IN SOME CASES DEATH


I FOUND THIS IN ONE OF THE BOOKS I READ ABOUT AN 1850s ALARM

THERE WAS AN ALARM IN DETROIT AT MICHIGAN AND CASS. ENGINE 8s VOLUNTEERS WERE THE

 CLOSEST ENGINE HOUSE.  BUT A VOLUNTEER FROM ENGINE 5 RAN TO THE LOCATION WITH AN

 EMPTY BARREL, AND PUT IT OVER THE CLOSEST HYDRANT TO THE FIRE AND SAT ON IT.

  ENGINE 8 PULLING UP AND NOT SPOTTING A HYDRANT WENT DOWN TO THE NEXT BLOCK TO

 LOOK FOR A HYDRANT.  ENGINE 5 PULLED UP AND THEIR MAN GOT OFF THE BARREL,

 REMOVING IT AND ENGINE 5 GOT "FIRST WATER"


DID YOU KNOW

THAT AS THE BRAKES (PUMP HANDLES) WERE BEING PUMPED AT 60 STROKES A MINUTE, AS WAS THE

 USUAL RATE, THE RELIEF CREW JUMPED IN AS THE FIRST CREW TIRED.  A PROBLEM  AROSE WHEN THE

 FIRST CREW WAS TRYING TO "WASH" THE ENGINE THAT THEY WERE PUMPING INTO.  THEY WOULD

 DOUBLE THEIR RATE TO 120 STROKES PER MINUTES TO GIVE THEM MORE WATER THEN THAT COMPANY

 COULD PUMP OUT .THE NEW CREW HAD TO TIME IT JUST RIGHT TO JUMP IN TO GRAB THE BRAKES. MANY

 TIMES THEY SUFFERED BROKEN FINGERS OR EVEN ARMS.  IT WAS IMPORTANT TO HAVE THEIR THUMBS ON

 THE SAME SIDE OF THE BRAKES AS THEIR FINGERS, OTHERWISE THERE WAS A GREATER DANGER OF

 BROKEN THUMBS.

MAKE SOMEONE SMILE TODAY
WAYNE
 

DID YOU KNOW

WAY BACK THEN:

THAT AT TIMES THE STREETS WERE SO MUDDY AND / OR RUT FILLED THAT IT MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT

 TO MAKE A FAST RUN TO GET "FIRST WATER.  THIS WAS ESPECIALLY DISCOURAGING WHEN THE FIREMEN

  KNEW ANOTHER COMPANY WAS COMING FROM ANOTHER DIRECTION THAT HAD BETTER STREETS.

 THERE ARE STORIES THAT THEY THEN PULLED THEIR HAND PUMPER UP ON THE WOODEN WALKWAYS

 FOR A FASTER RUN.

THE COMMUNITIES WERE AGAINST THIS AS IT DAMAGED THE WALKS , PICKET FENCES AND ANYTHING

 ELSE THAT WAS ON THE WOODEN WALKS.

 I THINK ALL OF US CAN APPRECIATE THIS AS

 NOBODY WANTS TO LOSE THEIR FIRE.  

DID YOU KNOW

THAT WAY BACK  THEN,  A FIREMEN BASICALLY LIVED AT THE ENGINE HOUSE ,

 IN SOME CASES IN THE VERY EARLY YEARS HE ONLY GOT ONE OR TWO DAYS OFF A MONTH  BESIDE THE

 DAILY THREE MEALS BUST OUTS.

I ALSO READ THAT  SOME PLACES THE MEN DIDN'T GET "ANY DAYS OFF" A MONTH.  THEY WORKED EVERY

 DAY WITH JUST ONE 10 DAY VACATION,  BESIDES THEIR MEAL BUST OUTS.

 FOR A MARRIED MAN THIS WAS EXTREMITY HARD BUT FOR A SINGLE MAN IT PROBABLY WASN'T THAT BAD.  

HE DIDN'T HAVE TO PAY RENT ON A PLACE TO SLEEP SO HE WAS ABLE TO SAVE A LARGE PORTION OF HIS PAY.

 HE HAD THE PRESTIGE OF HIS JOB AND MANY WOMEN LOOKED UP TO THESE FIREMEN IN UNIFORM.

   DID YOU KNOW

THAT WHILE DETROIT HAD AN ACTUAL FIRE HORSE TRAINING COLLEGE AND OTHERS HAD

 TRAINING STABLES MOST CITIES JUST HAD "OJT" (ON JOB TRAINING" WITH THE OTHER HORSES

 AND CREW.

 THEY WOULD HAVE THE REGULAR HORSE GO THROUGH ALL THE FUNCTIONS WHILE THE NEW HORSE STOOD

 BY AND THEN THEY WOULD GRADUALLY BREAK HIM IN.
 
DID YOU KNOW

THAT WHILE THE OFFICIAL RULES STATED THAT YOU  WERE NOT TO TEACH YOUR HORSE ANY TRICKS

 THIS RULE WAS NOT ADHERED TO IN MANY CASES.  SOME HORSES WERE TAUGHT TRICKS    BY THE

 FIREMEN.

MAKE SOMEONE SMILE TODAY
WAYNE
 

DO YOU REMEMBER

GOING TO THE JUNK YARD TO SCROUNGE A SEAT BELT   TO BE USED
 
TO BELT THE TWO BUNDLES TO THE BACK PLATFORM.

DO YOU REMEMBER

AS A YOUNG "WHIPPER SNAPPER" ON STRETCHING, DROPPING THE SECOND BUNDLE IN THE

 MIDDLE OF THE STREET RATHER THEN THROWING IT TO THE CURB.  

AFTER THE ENGINE WENT TO THE HYDRANT,  THE TRUCK WOULD RUN OVER IT AND SOMEONE WOULD

 HAVE TO CRAW UNDER THE RIG TO GET THE SECOND LINE.


AS A YOUNG "WHIPPER SNAPPER" ON STRETCHING LEAVE THE SECOND BUNDLE

 ON THE BACK PLATFORM OF THE RIG AS YOU GRABBED THE FIRST LINE.

YOU CAUGHT HOLY HELL WHEN ONE OF THE GUYS HAD TO RUN AFTER THE RIG AS IT WAS STRETCHING

 DOWN TO THE HYDRANT.


DON'T LIE "OLD-TIMER" I KNOW YOU DID ONE , IF NOT BOTH , OF THESE  "GOOFS" WHILE YOU WERE ON THE JOB.

DO YOU REMEMBER

IN THE TRAINING ACADEMY RAISING A LADDER WHERE IT DIDN'T LEAN AGAINST ANYTHING.

WHAT WAS THE NAME OF THAT RAISE?

REMEMBER YOU LOOPED A ROPE ON EACH BEAM END

YOU HAD 4 MEN  STANDING, HOLDING THE ROPES TO HOLD THE LADDER UP
STILL CAN'T REMEMBER THE NAME??
HINT  # 1    A PLACE THAT YOU WENT ONCE A WEEK

                     NO , NOT THE FIREMEN BAR

HINT  # 2    A PLACE THAT REALLY MADE YOU FEEL GOOD.

                     NO, NOT AT THE FIREMEN'S BREAKFAST WHERE YOU TOLD FIRE STORIES AFTER A  

                 GOOD WORKING FIRE.

IT WAS A CHURCH RAISE "OLD TIMER"....................      A CHURCH RAISE

MAKE SOMEONE SMILE TODAY
WAYNE
 

DID YOU KNOW

THAT ONE DOUBLE DECKER HAND PUMPER WAS SO BIG IT COULD ACCOMMODATE 48 MEN

THIS ENABLED  TWO GROUPS OF 12 MEN STANDING ON THE GROUND WHILE

 TWO GROUPS OF 12 MEN STOOD ON THE PUMPERS DECK WHILE PUMPING THE BRAKES.


DID YOU KNOW

THAT HAND PUMPERS CAME IN 5 SIZES

FROM 1ST SIZE ENGINES OPERATED BY UP TO 50 MEN AT 150 GALLONS PER MINUTE

TO 5TH SIZE ENGINES OPERATED BY 4 MEN AT 30 GALLONS PER MINUTE

COMMUNITIES BOUGHT WHAT THEIR NEEDS WERE AND WHAT THEY COULD AFFORD


DID YOU KNOW

WHILE SOME COMPANIES THAT BUILT HAND PUMPERS WENT ON TO MANUFACTURE STEAMERS ,

 MOST DID NOT AS IT TOOK A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TYPE OF COMPANY .

 MANY HAND PUMPER COMPANIES DIDN'T HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE, TOOLING, SKILLED HELP, OR

 BUILDINGS TO ADVANCE TO THIS NEW PHASE OF FIRE FIGHTING


DID YOU KNOW

THAT IN 1855 IN THE BEGINNING OF THE FDNY THE FIREMEN ONLY GOT
 
ONE 24 HOUR DAY OFF EACH MONTH.

DID YOU KNOW

THAT THE EARLY FIRE GEAR WAS
MOSTLY "WOOL"

DID YOU KNOW

THAT SOME HORSES EVEN RECOGNIZED THE FIRST NUMBER OF THEIR BOX IF ALL OF THEM STARTED

 WITH THE SAME NUMBER

THAT IN SOME COMMUNITIES HORSES GOT VACATIONS BEFORE THE FIREMEN.  

THERE WAS A BIG INVESTMENT IN THEIR HORSES.

IT TOOK LONGER TO TRAIN AND REPLACE A HORSE THEN A FIREMAN.

 THEY WERE PROTECTING THEIR INVESTMENT.

MAKE SOMEONE SMILE TODAY
WAYNE
 

DID YOU KNOW

THAT IN THE LATE 1800s AND THE EARLY 1900s

CHEMICAL ENGINES PUT OUT THE MAJORITY OF FIRES IN MOST COMMUNITIES.

DID YOU KNOW

I LEARNED FROM AN OLD TIMER (LIKE ME)

THAT HE REMEMBERED, AS A YOUNG "WHIPPER SNAPPER" ON THE EASTSIDE THERE WAS ONE TRUCK THAT CARRIED IN ITS EQUIPMENT A  PIECE OF BOARD.

 NOT KNOWING WHAT IT WAS USED FOR HE ASKED AN EVEN OLDER "OLD TIMER)  LIKE SOME OF YOU GUYS.

   HE SAID THAT IT WAS USED TO PUSH THE OLD WOODEN SHINGLES FROM THE

 INSIDE ON THE ROOFS THAT HAD A ONE   INCH SPACE BETWEEN THE ROOF BOARDS. THE PIKE

 POLE WOULD JUST POKE A HOLE IN THE WOOD SHINGLES. THE AX WAS TOO THICK TO FIT IN THAT SPACE.

 THE BOARD WAS LIGHT ENOUGH TO DO A GOOD JOB OF KNOCKING THE

WOODEN SHINGLES OFF THE ROOF BOARDS.  

DID YOU KNOW

THAT DETROIT HAD A  65 FT SEAGRAVE WATER TOWER FROM 1924 TO 1953

WATER TOWERS CAME INTO BEING WHEN THE AERIAL LADDERS WERE WOOD AND WENT OUT WHEN THEY WERE MADE OF STEEL AND WERE MORE ABLE TO WITHSTAND THE PRESSURE , STRAIN AND

 WEIGHT OF A TOWER GUN PLAYING  AWAY FROM THE RAISED TOP OF THE AERIAL LADDER.

DID YOU KNOW

THAT THE FIRST ALARM BOX WAS MADE OUT OF "WOOD"

THEN CAME "CAST IRON"

FINALLY CAME "HERCULITE".............A SILICON ALUMINUM ALLOY

DID YOU KNOW

THAT GAMEWELL MADE AN "ENGINE HOUSE TRIP".

THIS WAS A SYSTEM WHERE WHEN THE GONG RANG THE FIRST TIME FOR A RUN
THE HORSES STALL WAS OPENED DUE TO A LEVER MECHANISM CONNECTED TO THE GONG

DID YOU KNOW

THAT IT WASN'T OPTIONAL FOR THE VARIOUS

 CHURCHES TO RING THEIR BELLS UPON AN ALARM

 OF FIRE. IT WAS AN ORDER.

MAKE SOMEONE SMILE TODAY
WAYNE
 

DID YOU KNOW

THAT WHEN THE MOTORIZED ERA FIRST CAME INTO BEING, MANY CITIES WANTED TO BUY THEM BUT

 THEY JUST HAD TOO MUCH OF AN INVESTMENT  IN THEIR STEAMERS.

 THEY RECOGNIZED THAT THE MOTORIZED RIGS WERE THE FUTURE AND

THE HORSES, AND THEIR MAINTENANCE, WERE THE PAST

 BUT THEY COULDN'T AFFORD TO BUY WHOLE NEW FLEETS OF FIRE APPARATUSES.

WHAT HAPPENED IS SOME COMPANIES  FORESAW

 THIS AND MADE

TWO AND FOUR WHEELED TRACTORS.

THE TRACTORS WERE ADAPTED TO BE FITTED TO STEAMERS, LADDER TRUCKS

AND HOSE WAGONS, THEREBY REPLACING THE HORSES .

 THEN GRADUALLY OVER TIME THE COMMUNITIES COULD CONVERT TO

COMPLETE MOTORIZED FIRE APPARATUSES

DID YOU KNOW

WHILE OUR REGISTER IN DETROIT PUNCHED OUT A TWO SIDED TRIANGULAR HOLE  WITH NO DEBRIS ,

 GAMEWELL ALSO MADE REGISTER THAT PUNCHED OUT A ROUND HOLE WITH A SMALL CUP TO CATCH THE

 PUNCHED OUT PAPER.

DO YOU REMEMBER

PUMPING OUT A COMMERCIAL BASEMENT BY PUTTING A LARKIN PIPE ON A 2  1/2 " LINE.

THEN INSERTING IT INTO THE END OF A CONNECTED SET OF HARD SUCTIONS.

   YOU THEN LOWERED THAT ONE END INTO THE FLOODED BASEMENT ,

YOU PUMPED INTO THE 2  1/2 " LINE AND IT PUMPED OUT THE OTHER END OF THE HARD SUCTION THAT

 WAS ON THE STREET.  

I SAW IT USED A COUPLE OF TIMES BACK IN THE 60s IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.

DID YOU KNOW.

ALL OF THE EARLY NOZZLES WERE STRAIGHT STREAM


DID YOU KNOW.

THAT IN SOME CASES, WET BLANKETS WERE THROWN ON THATCHED ROOFS OF

 HOUSES THAT WERE IN THE PATH OF  A FIRE TO TRY TO PREVENT THEM FROM ALSO

 CATCHING FIRE.


DID YOU KNOW.

THAT SOME OF THE VERY EARLY SALVAGE BAGS

 WERE MADE FROM "OLD SHIPS SAILS"

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DID YOU KNOW.

THAT SOME EARLY RIGS HAD FOOT OPERATED GONGS RATHER THEN THE MORE EXPENSIVE BELL
  
DID YOU KNOW.

THAT SOME EARLY STEAMER SUCTIONS WERE STEEL SPRINGS ENCASED IN RUBBER
  DID YOU KNOW.

THAT IN SOME CITIES THE COAL WAGON BESIDES DELIVERING COAL TO THE STEAMER  HAD A DECK GUN

 MOUNTED IN IT.  THE STEAMER PUMPED INTO IT.

DO YOU REMEMBER

WHAT WAS ANOTHER NAME FOR A
NON TILLERING AERIAL LADDER TRUCK



"SERVICE TRUCK"


DID YOU KNOW.

THAT IN THE MID 1800s SOMEONE CAME UP WITH THE IDEA OF MEN SITTING ON THE TOP OF A HAND

 PUMPER AND ROWING, LIKE A ROW BOAT THE HANDLE TO PUMP.

IT DID WORK BUT THE MEN PREFERRED THE STANDING METHOD SO  THIS DESIGN DIDN'T CATCH ON.

DID YOU KNOW.

THAT AN EARLY FIRE COMPANY WAS CALLED A FLOATING ENGINE COMPANY. IT WAS A HAND PUMPER ON A BARGE

DID YOU KNOW.

THAT SINCE ALL OUR COUPLING AND ADAPTERS HAVE A "NATIONAL STANDARD THREAD" WE HAD

 TO CARRY SOME ADAPTERS THAT HAD DIFFERENT THREADS IN CASE WE GOT HELP FROM A SUBURB THAT

 HAD DIFFERENT THREADS.

I CAN RECALL WE HEARD THAT ONE OF THE DOWNTOWN BUILDINGS HAD BOTH THEIR EXTERIOR AND

 INTERIOR FITTINGS OF A DIFFERENT THREAD THEN WHAT WE HAD. THERE WAS A SCURRY TO REMEDY THIS.


DID YOU KNOW.

THAT IN SOME CITIES THE CHIEFS CAR IS CALLED A "BUGGY".

THIS DATES BACK WHEN THEY WERE ACTUALLY HORSE BUGGIES


DID YOU KNOW.

THAT SOME EARLY FIRE RIGS HEADLIGHTS WERE

 FUELED BY AN ACETYLENE TANK MOUNTED ON THE

 RUNNING BOARD.

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DID YOU KNOW.

THAT IF A HORSE DRAWN STEAMER MADE A RUN AND WAS PLACED IN SERVICE UPON ARRIVING AS

 THERE WAS NO FIRE, THEN RATHER THEN JUST TURNING AROUND AND GOING BACK TO THE ENGINE

 HOUSE, THE  HORSE WOULD BE UNHITCHED AND WALKED AROUND TO COOL HIM OFF.

 AFTER HE WAS COOLED OFF HE WOULD BE RE-HITCHED AND PULL THE STEAMER BACK.

DID YOU KNOW.

SOME PLACES CALLED A COMBINATION CHEMICAL AND HOSE WAGON A ......................... SCOUT


DID YOU KNOW.

IN THE EARLY DAYS,   THE CALL FROM THE WATCH DESK TO THE SLEEPING MEN IN THE DORMITORY,

 UPON SPOTTING A FIRE IN THEIR DISTRICT WAS


"TURN OUT" ,  "TURN OUT"



DID YOU KNOW.

THE FIRE BOX IN THE STEAMER WAS FIRST FILLED WITH:

KINDLING

THEN A LAYER OF COAL

THEN A FINER LAYER OF KINDLING (TINDER)

THEN ALL THIS SOAKED WITH KEROSENE

SOME WAYS IT WAS STARTED ON FIRE

A MATCH

A TORCH

A CHAIN RIGGED UP UNDER THE FIREBOX TO PRODUCE SPARKS AS THE STEAMER SPED TO THE RUN.


OR IN SOME CASE
THE FIREMEN WOULD PUT A COIN NEXT TO A MATCH BY THE FIRE BOX.

  THE FIRST KID FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD , UPON HEARING THE ALARM WOULD RUN TO THE

 FIREHOUSE AND LIGHT THE FIRE.

 HE GOT THE COIN

DO YOU REMEMBER

WHEN YOU REQUISITIONED CHAMOIS EACH MONTH

AND GOT THEM

DO YOU REMEMBER

"DIAMOND PLATE"

DID YOU KNOW

THAT SOME HORSES HAD THEIR HOOVES PACKED WITH CLAY TO MAKE IT EASIER

ON RUNNING ON THE COBBLESTONE STREETS

 DID YOU KNOW

THAT SOME OF THE FIRST FIRE BUCKETS WERE MADE  OF BEAVER BY SHOEMAKERS.  

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DID YOU KNOW

SOME COMMUNITIES STATED THAT AFTER SUNSET EACH HOUSEHOLD HAD TO HAVE

FIRE BUCKETS FILLED WITH WATER ON THEIR FRONT STEPS.

DID YOU KNOW

THAT A GREAT INSULT TO THE EARLY FIRE WARDENS WAS TO CALL THEM

                             "CHIMNEY SWEEPS"

DID YOU KNOW

ANOTHER NAME FOR FIRE WARDENS WAS

BRANT MASTERS

DID YOU KNOW

PRIOR TO BEING CALLED "CHIEF ENGINEER" HE WAS CALLED

"OVERSEER"

DID YOU KNOW

THAT IN SOME ADS FOR THE EARLY FIRE ENGINES IN REFERRING TO THEIR CAPACITY USED

 THE TERM "HOGSHEAD"

A "HOGSHEAD" WAS A UNIT OF MEASUREMENT BACK THEN THAT AMOUNTED TO
 "63 GALLONS"

DID YOU KNOW

JUST BECAUSE A FIREMEN WAS A VOLUNTEER AND WASN'T PAID DIDN'T MEAN THAT HE COULDN'T BE

 REMOVED FROM HIS POSITION.

THERE WERE MANY ADVANTAGES TO BEING A VOLUNTEER .

YOU WERE EXEMPT FROM JURY DUTY AND THE MILITIA, EXCEPT IN TIME OF INVASION.

IT WAS A STEP TO POLITICAL OFFICE.

IT PROVIDED BUSINESS CONTACTS.

IT GAVE ONE ACCEPTANCE IN THE COMMUNITY AND PRESTIGE FROM THE BOREDOM OF EVERY

 DAY LIFE.

IT LED TO COMMUNITY FRIENDSHIPS AND A SENSE OF DOING GOOD.

WOMEN LOOKED UP TO THE MEN IN UNIFORM.

DID YOU KNOW

IN THE EARLY TIMES, WHEN THERE WEREN'T ANY STREET LIGHTS TO LIGHT THE WAY FOR FIREMEN

 AND CITIZENS, MANY COMMUNITIES REQUIRED EVERY 7TH , OR ANY OTHER NUMBER, HOUSE TO

 HANG A LANTERN ON A POLE IN THEIR FRONT.

AFTER THAT PERIOD THE CITIES INSTALLED THEIR OWN LANTERNS AND HIRED LAMPLIGHTERS TO

 LIGHT THEM EVERY NIGHT.

DID YOU KNOW

THE EARLY FIREMEN THAT HAD SALVAGE BAGS AND THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF SECURING  A PERSONS

 VALUABLES AT FIRES HAD A PASSWORD SYSTEM .  IT WAS TO PREVENT

 UNSCRUPULOUS PERSONS FROM ENTERING PLACES ON FIRE AND TAKING THEIR VALUABLES.

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WE BOUGHT THEM AT...............SEARS .................AND WE BOUGHT THEM ON MONDAY... 

THAT'S WHEN THE "THRIFTY MONDAY"  ONE PAGE AD CAME OUT IN THE NEWSPAPER. 

WE TRIED TO WAIT FOR THIS SALE, AND MANY TIMES PICKED UP TWO PAIRS. 

THEN IF YOU WERE A WEST SIDER YOU JUST WENT DOWN THE BLOCK TO BARRY'S  WAR SURPLUS AND PICKED UP A PAIR
 

OF NAVY PANTS TO BE USED AS BUNKER PANTS BEFORE THE CITY SUPPLIED US WITH THEM....

THEY HAD  TWO STYLES, ONE BIB OVERALL AND THE OTHER JUST WAIST HIGH................

.YOU HAD TO CUT A SLIT ABOUT 8 INCH UP FROM THE BOTTOM SO THE PANTS COULD FIT OVER YOUR FIRE BOOTS.

 

DID YOU KNOW
 

THAT IN 1841, IN NEW YORK, YOU HAD TO HAVE AT LEAST 5 YEARS AS A FIREMAN TO BE A FIRE COMMISSIONER.
 

DID YOU KNOW

THAT WHILE THE TOP SHIELD HOLDER ON OUR FIRE HELMETS ARE SHEET METAL THE

 ORIGINAL ONES   WERE LEATHER, AND THEN CAME SOLID BRASS

THE HELMETS ISSUED IN THE 1960s DIDN'T HAVE A TOP SHIELD HOLDER. THE SHIELD JUST BOLTED TO THE

 HELMET WITH TWO SMALL BOLTS.

THE SHIELDS ALWAYS WERE BENT OVER FROM THE TOP FROM THINGS LANDING ON YOUR HELMET AND

 FROM BREAKING OUT WINDOWS WITH YOUR HELMET.

DID YOU KNOW

THERE IS A STORY OF SOME FIREMEN POURING  WHISKEY  DOWN THEIR BOOTS DURING COLD WEATHER TO

 KEEP THEIR TOES FROM FREEZING . THIS WAS DURING SOME OF THE EARLY YEARS.

  I KNOW THOSE OLD OCD BOOTS  DIDN'T HAVE ANY INSULATION AT ALL, SO I CAN IMAGINE THAT THE EVEN

 EARLIER BOOTS WERE WORSE THEN THOSE..

REMEMBER WATER GETTING IN YOUR BOOTS WHEN IT WAS BELOW ZERO.
 
UNLIKE OTHER JOBS WHERE YOU COULD TAKE A BREAK, DRY OFF YOUR FEET AND POSSIBLE GET ANOTHER

 PAIR OF FOOTWEAR, YOU JUST HAD TO "IRONMAN" IT.
 
THE PEOPLE YOU WERE HELPING HAD IT WORSE THEN YOU SO YOU KEPT ON WORKING.

DO YOU REMEMBER
 
BEFORE NOMEX HOODS, WHEN YOUR EARS STARTED TO BURN YOU KNEW IT WAS TOO HOT  AND YOU HAD TO

 COOL IT DOWN  BEFORE GOING IN ANY FARTHER.
 WITH THE HOODS YOU COULD GO IN AND SHAKE HANDS WITH "MR. FIRE"

 DO YOU REMEMBER

SAYING ABOUT SOMEONE

HE'S A "PLUNGER"

AS HE IS ONE THAT PLUNGES IN THE FIRE.


DO YOU REMEMBER

WAY BACK BEFORE EMS WHEN THE SQUADS WENT ON ALL SPECIALS .

WHAT YOU WOULD SAY TO A YOUNG "WHIPPER SNAPPER" WHEN YOU BLEW A FART

THAT'S  SQUAD TRAINING , KID.  THAT'S SQUAD TRAINING.

THAT'S IN REFERENCE TO WHEN YOU CHECKED ON SOMEONE THAT MAY HAVE BEEN DEAD FOR A WEEK OR

 SO. YOU WOULD NEVER FORGET THAT SMELL.

DO YOU REMEMBER

IN THE EARLY 60s IN THE INNER-CITY COMPANIES THE YOUNGEST  MAN MIGHT HAVE

 ONLY A COUPLE OF YEARS ON THE JOB

IN THE OUTSKIRTS COMPANIES THE YOUNGEST MAN MIGHT 20 YEARS ON THE JOB.

THE INNER-CITY SENIOR MAN WOULD BE A SUB CARRYING THE CAN IN THE OUTSKIRTS.


DO YOU REMEMBER

IN ANOTHER COLUMN I MENTIONED THAT THERE WERE TWO THINGS WE KEPT IN THE HARD SUCTION,

THE FIRE ESCAPE HOOK AND A PIKE POLE.

WELL I REMEMBER A THIRD THING

WHAT WAS IT OLD TIMER?

HINT , IT WAS ABOUT 6 ' LONG AND I DON'T BELIEVE MOST OF YOU  EVER USED IT.
.
THE FOG APPLICATOR THAT FIT IT THE END OF THE ROCKWOOD NOZZLE

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DO YOU KNOW

I HAVE USED THE TERM "IRONMAN"  A NUMBER OF TIMES.

IT WAS A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT BESIDES BEING AN EXPRESSION
 
TO THE YOUNG "WHIPPER SNAPPERS" THAT DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS.

IT WAS A NOZZLE HOLDER FOR THE 2   1/2 " LARKIN PIPE

IT HAD TWO BARS (HANDLES) TO ALLOW TWO MEN TO HOLD THE PIPE.]

IT HAD TWO STRAPS TO HOLD THIS CONTRAPTION TO THE LARKIN PIPE.

IT ALSO HAD A  SPIKE THAT SLID  IN THE BODY OF THE IRON MAN.

YOU SLID THE SPIKE OUT , LOCKING IT IN THE IRONMAN AND BRACED IT IN THE GROUND.

THIS ENABLED TWO MEN TO HOLD A CHARGED 2  1/2  PIPE EASIER.

IT WOULD BASICALLY BE LIKE IF YOU TOOK ONE OF THOSE NEWER  NOZZLES WITH THE TWO BLACK SIDE HANDLES

 AND PUT IT ON A MONO POD  ( A ONE LEGGED TRIPOD)


DO YOU REMEMBER

AS A YOUNG "WHIPPER SNAPPER" LISTENING TO THE OLD-TIMERS TELLING "FIRE STORIES"  AND YOU HAD NOTHING

 TO CONTRIBUTE AS YOU DIDN'T HAVE ANY YET TO COMPARE TO THEIRS.

THEN BY THE TIME YOU BECAME AN  "OLD-TIMER" YOUR BOOK OF FIRE STORIES WAS FULL.


 DO YOU REMEMBER

HEY OLD TIMERS REMEMBER THESE YELLS AT FIRES

STRETCH

RED LINE

STRETCH BOTH BEDS

HERE COMES THE WATER

HOLD THE WATER

MORE LINE

GET THE KINKS OUT

GET THE DUTCHTOWN

HOOK UP THE SECOND LINE

FOG IT OUT

WHERE'S THE TRIALMAN

DO YOU REMEMBER

WHEN VCR'S FIRST CAME IN AND THE  GUYS VOTED TO HAVE THE PAPER FUND BUY ONE.

BACK THEN THERE WERE TWO SYSTEMS,   VHS  AND BETA.

OUR PAPER FUND BOUGHT A BETA

WHO KNEW

ANYONE WANT TO BUY A BETA VCR..............CHEAP

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DID YOU KNOW

THAT THE CHEMICAL ENGINES COST ONLY  20% OF THE PRICE OF A STEAMER.
THE COST OF SOME STEAMERS COST THE CITIES $ 10,000 WHILE THE CHEMICAL ENGINE ONLY COST $ $2,000

ALSO SINCE CHEMICAL ENGINES WERE LIGHTER IT DIDN'T REQUIRE THE AMOUNT OR SIZE HORSES TO PULL IT,

COMPARED TO THE STEAMER.

 WHEN A DEPARTMENT HAD BOTH STEAMERS AND CHEMICAL ENGINES THEY HITCHED THEIR FASTEST  HORSES TO

 THE CHEMICAL ENGINE AS THEY WANTED A FAST KNOCK DOWN.   IF NECESSARY, THEY CONTAINED IT TILL THE
 
STEAMER SHOWED UP TO GIVE THEM MORE WATER

DO YOU REMEMBER

HOW HEAVY THOSE POLE MATS WERE WHEN THEY GOT WATERLOGGED AND YOU HAD TO MOVE THEM ON

SATURDAY FLUSH OUTS

REMEMBER WHERE YOU PUT THEM........................."ON THOSE RED CHAIRS"

DO YOU REMEMBER

WHAT WAS KEPT ON THE TOPS OF THE APPARATUS ROOMS RADIATORS ?

COME ON OLD TIMER............................................... THINK

TIN CANS WITH BOTH TOPS AND BOTTOMS CUT OUT TO BE INSERTED IN YOUR WET GLOVES TO DRY THEM.

IF YOU DIDN'T REMEMBER THAT I KNOW YOU WON'T REMEMBER THIS.

GIVE IT A TRY OLD TIMER. LET'S SHOW THESE YOUNG "WHIPPER SNAPPERS"  THAT WE CAN REMEMBER
 
MORE THEN JUST OUR BADGE NUMBER.

THERE WERE THREE KEYS WE WOUND EVERY DAY WHILE ON WATCH.

WHAT WERE THEY???????????

SCROLL

SCROLL SOME MORE

JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE.

ONE IN THE REGISTER

ONE IN THE TAKE-UP REEL

ONE IN THE BIG BELL  (GONG)

ONE OF THESE WAS REMOVABLE AND
 THE OTHER TWO WERE NOT.

WHICH ONE COULD YOU REMOVE

SCROLL

SOME  MORE

THE  REGISTER KEY WAS REMOVABLE AND YOU KEPT IT IN

 THAT HOLE IN THE WOODEN SHELF BRACKET.

SEE OLD TIMER, YOU REMEMBERED,

YOU EVEN REMEMBER JUST BARELY  INSERTING IT IN THE REGISTER DURING AN EXTRA ALARM AFTER

 MIDNIGHT WHEN IT NOW BECAME A WAKEFUL WATCH. YOU TRIED TO CATCH A COUPLE OF ZZZs  .

 THEN WHEN A BOX CAME IN, THE KEY WOULD FALL OUT OF THE KEY HOLE INTO  THE EMPTY WASTEPAPER PAIL

  WAKING YOU UP.

 NOW GO  TAKE A NAP WHILE I THINK UP MORE "STUFF".

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DO YOU KNOW

THAT WHEN STEAMERS WERE FIRST PROPOSED AND THEN SAW ACTION , THE THINKING WAS THAT IT SUPPLIED SO MUCH

  MORE WATER THAT IT WOULD PROBABLY CAUSE MORE PROPERTY DAMAGE THEN THE HAND PUMPER

   DO YOU KNOW

AT THE  EARLY FIRES, WHEN STEAMERS WERE JUST COMING IN, THERE WOULD BE BOTH STEAMERS AND

 HAND PUMPERS ON THE SCENE.

  THE FIREMEN SPOKE AGAINST THE STEAMERS AS THEY SAW IT WOULD DO AWAY WITH THEIR WAY OF LIFE.

MAYBE IN THEIR EVERYDAY LIFE  THEY WERE JUST   CLERKS AND  SHUFFLED PAPERS . BUT HERE ON A HAND PUMPER

 THEY HAD THE EXCITEMENT OF BEING   FIREMEN PUMPING AWAY ON THE BRAKES AMONGST 40 OF THEIR COMRADES.

  THEY SAW THE STEAMER BEING HANDLED WITH JUST THREE MEN, DRIVER, ENGINEER AND STOKER AS A THREAT

 TO THEIR MANHOOD.  EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE VOLUNTEERS AND NOT GETTING PAID IT WAS THE PRESTIGE THAT

 THEY WERE IN DANGER OF LOSING .
 
 


DO YOU REMEMBER

WHAT IT MEANT WHEN YOU WOULD PASS SOME CHILDREN AND THEY WOULD PUMP THEIR ARM UP AND DOWN.

THEY WANTED YOU TO PULL THE AIR HORN CORD


DO YOU REMEMBER

WHILE SITTING IN THE ENGINE HOUSE A HISS AND A POPPING SOUND WOULD COME FROM UNDER THE RIG

WHAT WAS THAT   NOISE AND WHERE DID IT COME FROM?

IT WAS THE SPITTER VALVE

THE SPITTER VALVE POPPED FROM THE AIR BRAKE TANK SPITTING WATER BUILDUP FROM CONDENSATION.



DO YOU KNOW

THAT ALL GASOLINE PUMPS WERE ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE ENGINE HOUSES EXCEPT ONE.

IT WAS ON THE INSIDE

WHAT HOUSE WAS IT

HEADQUARTERS


DO YOU KNOW

USING THE OLD MSA SMOKE MASK.

THAT WHAT WAS COMMON BACK THEN, BEING YOU DID NOT HAVE YOUR OWN BREATHING TUBE, WAS WEAR AND TEAR

 AND CUTS IN THE INNER FOLDS OF THE TUBE.    IT WAS   BEING USED BY BOTH

 UNITS  EACH AND VERY DAY.   WHEN YOU GOT A CUT IN THE INNER FOLDS OF THE TUBE   YOU BREATHED IN  THE

 SMOKE..THERE WAS LESS RESTRICTION FOR THE SMOKE TO ENTER THAT CUT RATHER THEN PASS THROUGHT THE

 FILTERING AGENT IN THE CANISTER.

 IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE A SPARE TUBE, AND MOST TIMES YOU DIDN'T, YOU JUST SUCKED IN THE SMOKE TILL YOU GOT

 AROUND TO GO TO THE SHOP TO GET A REPLACEMENT TUBE.

 

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DID YOU KNOW

THAT BACK IN THE EARLY DAYS, THE DORMITORY AREA THAT YOUR BED WAS IN WAS CALLED

A "CRIB"

DID YOU KNOW

THAT  IN ONE OF MY PAST COLUMNS I WROTE THAT RATHER THEN GET PASSED BY ANOTHER COMPANY GOING TO A FIRE

 SOME HAND PUMPERS WOULD FAKE A REPAIR AS THAT WOULDN'T COUNT AS BEING PASSED.

WELL, I ALSO FOUND OUT SOME COMPANIES WOULD RUN INTO SOMETHING, CAUSING AN ACCIDENT AS THAT ALSO

 WOULDN'T COUNT AS BEING PASSED


DID YOU KNOW

THAT IN THE 1800s THEY ALSO USED THE TERMS

"PLAY AWAY"
          &
STILL ALARM

DID YOU KNOW

THAT ON THE HAND PUMPERS  THEY WOULD HAVE  A ROW OF MEN PUMPING THE BRAKE HANDLES  WHILE BEHIND

 THEM WOULD BE  TWO OR MORE ROWS OF MEN READY TO JUMP IN ON THE BRAKE HANDLES AS SOON AS THE MAN IN

 FRONT OF THEM GOT TIRED. AS A MAN GOT TIRED HE WOULD DROP OUT TO THE LAST ROW TO CATCH HIS BREATH. THE

 NEXT MAN IN THAT SLOT WOULD MOVE UP, TIMING THE BRAKE HANDLES GOING UP AND DOWN AT THE RATE OF

60 STOKES A MINUTE.. A PROBLEM AROSE WHEN THEY SPED UP TO 120 STOKES A MINUTE TO "WASH" THE COMPANY

 THEY WERE PUMPING INTO.  

IT SEEMS THAT IS WHERE MORE INJURIES TO HANDS AND ARMS HAPPENED

DID YOU KNOW

IT APPEARS THAT IN RELAYING WATER BETWEEN HAND PUMPERS THE MALE END OF THEIR HOSE WASN'T

 CONNECTED TO ANY INLET COUPLING IN THE PUMPER THAT WAS RECEIVING THE WATER
.
 IT WAS HAND HELD TO FEED THE WATER TUB.


DID YOU KNOW

THAT IN SOME COMMUNITIES IT WAS PROPOSED THAT THE INSURANCE COMPANIES SHOULD

 "FUND" THE FIRE PREVENTION BUREAU WITHIN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.

I CAN'T FIND OUT IF THEY DID FUND ANY.


DO YOU REMEMBER

HEARING STORIES ABOUT SOME OF THE REAL  OLD BOSSES THAT WOULD SEE THEIR MAN OUTSIDE, WALKING TO THE

 FIRE HOUSE BUT WAS NOT INSIDE AND SIGNED IN WHEN THE 8:00 AM GONG CLANGED.  

THEY TOOK HIM DOWN ON CHARGES.

I JUST HEARD THESE STORIES ,BUT BEING A YOUNG "WHIPPER SNAPPER" UNDER SOME   REAL OLD BOSSES  I SUSPECT

 THEY WERE PROBABLY TRUE. .

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  EXCEPT SOME OF YOU REAL OLD BOSSES,
WATCH YOUSELF IN THE OLD FOLKS HOME.
 

 DID YOU KNOW

THAT  MOST OF THE SALVAGE COMPANIES WERE UNDER CONTROL OF THE INSURANCE COMPANIES .

SOME WERE UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS

THEN DUE TO BUDGETARY PROBLEMS THE SALVAGE COMPANIES WERE ELIMINATED

DID YOU KNOW
THAT IN THE EARLY 60s EITHER LADDER 4 OR LADDER 22 CARRIED AN AUGER.

THE OLDER GUYS SAID THAT IT WAS USED  TO

HAND BORE A HOLE IN A WOODEN FLOOR TO DRAIN THE EXCESS WATER FROM THAT FLOOR  


DID YOU KNOW

THAT AS CITIES BEGAN TO EXPAND AND MOTORIZED VEHICLES CAME INTO BEING IT BECAME

 IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO GO TO MOTORIZED FIRE APPARATUSES . HORSES JUST COULDN'T MAKE

 THE LONGER FIRE RUNS PULLING THE HEAVY STEAMERS.


DID YOU KNOW

THAT IN SOME OF THE EARLY STATIONS THE CHIEF AND HIS FAMILY

 WERE PROVIDED LIVING QUARTERS IN AN UPPER LEVEL FLOOR


DID YOU KNOW

IN ONE DEPARTMENT THE FIREMEN WERE ON A SPLIT SHIFT,   DAYS AND NIGHTS.

A PROBLEM WAS THE DAY CREW LEFT EVERYTHING TO THE NIGHT CREW AND THE NIGHT CREW LEFT

 EVERYTHING TO THE DAY CREW.

( KIND OF LIKE THE "OFU" LEAVING EVERYTHING FOR US TO DO.)

TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM THE DEPARTMENT PUT THE CHIEFS ON A 24 HOUR  SHIFT TO BE RESPONSIBLE

 FOR BOTH CREWS.

AFTER A TRIAL PERIOD THE REST OF THE FIREMEN VOTED TO ALSO GO ON A 24 HOUR SHIFT


DID YOU KNOW

THAT THE EARLY VOLUNTEER HAD TO HAVE A   GOOD EXCUSE TO NOT RESPOND TO A FIRE.

EVEN IF THEY HAD A VERY GOOD EXCUSE, THEY STILL MIGHT BE FINED.

DID YOU KNOW

THAT BESIDE A LANTERN HUNG FROM A BELL TOWER IN THE DIRECTION OF THE FIRE AT NIGHT,

A FLAG WAS HUNG IN THE FIRE DIRECTION IN THE DAY.

DID YOU KNOW

THAT IN NEW YORK IN 1832 AN EPIDEMIC OF CHOLERA RAN THROUGH  THE CITY. IT PUT  MANY OF

 THE VOLUNTEERS ON THE SICK LIST.  THEY THEN HAD TO RENT HORSES TO   PULL THE RIGS.  IT

 WORKED SO WELL THAT THE IDEA SPREAD.


DID YOU KNOW

THAT BETWEEN 1910 AND 1920 DETROIT ORDERED

14 CHEMICAL APPARATUSES

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