FIRE DEPT. FUN FACTS #11

AMSTERDAM - 1403

The first written fire prevention rules were published and contains regulations on buildings, houses, and businesses.  It was stipulated that upon the discovery of a fire you must shout out loud to alert the populous.  Also, the owner of a burning structure had the responsibility to pay for damages to another's property.

Fire Dept. Fun Facts #10

(Hi.  Missed you all.  So I'll be dropping in every now and then to stay in touch.  I'll still have my new blog at writingohmy.wordpress.com.  Stop by anytime you like.)

1775-1777 - French Chemist Antoine Lavoisier coined the term "oxygen" and investigated the properties of the element.

1783 - Lavoisier discovered that fire results from a chemical process, oxidation, which occurs when a substance is combined with oxygen.  From this came the understanding that fire requires three things: fuel, heat and oxygen.

Makes Sense, Doesn't It?

Ben Franklin was a very savvy man, bordering on genius if not actually over the line with smarts.  He was the initiator of so many things that had a positive impact on a large population world-wide.  For one thing, he was concerned about the dangers of fire on the citizens. 

He belonged to a group of firefighting men in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Thinking through how things were done, he formed the Union Fire Company.  Under his direction it was decided to start a fire insurance company.  He met with other fire companies to form the Philadelphia Contributorship Insurance Company.

The fireman paid a premium to the company which would pay out for property damage from fires.  They signed on for seven years.  At the end of the seven year period they would receive back the monies they paid in minus the amount paid out.  The first year they had no fires among the insured.  At the end of seven years they all got some money back.

Franklin also noticed how mature trees interfered with fire fighting.  They prevented immediate access to the burning building which hampered firefighters when getting into position for their work.  After some thought he suggested the city council require the removal of all mature trees in town.  His idea was approved and made into a city ordinance.

The citizens were not as impressed with this idea.  Think about it.  This was a time where there was no air conditioning.  Without mature trees, there would be no shady areas to allow a person to get some relief from a brutal sun.  Being inside the house would not assure you a modicum of relief, especially since cooking was often over an open flame in the house.  You know those kitchens would get unbearably hot.

I'm sure many also sat outside to catch any breeze blowing through the area.  Without the trees, would they instead have straight line winds blowing through, possibly with greater force than the less intense breeze of the wind slowing as the wind met the trees? 

Whatever the reasons for the controversy surrounding the passing of this ordinance, the population had a vigorous say about the situation.  The ordinance was rescinded.

However, Franklin must have been proud of the citizens for protesting to the city and expressing their concerns and feelings.  He did believe in the democratic process, and that process does not assure you will always get your way, only that you can have your say.

How would you feel if a like ordinance were suggested where you live?

Over 260 Years and Still Going Strong

It takes some special folks to keep a volunteer organization going strong.  A group of firefighters in New Jersey are well aware of this and continue doing their duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

1752 - Britannia Fire Company is organized in Bridgeton, New Jersey.  It is the oldest volunteer fire company in continuous service in the United States.  Don't believe it?  They have  the minutes of that first meeting dated July 11, 1752.

1787 - The company changed their name to Mount Holly Fire Company.

1789 - The company built a shed to house their leather fire buckets and ladders, thus becoming the first known "fire house" or fire station in America.

1790s - The town changed their name from Bridgeton to Mount Holly.

1805 - The fire department changed their name from Mount Holly to Relief Fire Engine Company No. 1.

1892 - A new fire house is built for the company.  The old shed, the first fire house in the country, is moved to a location beside the new building.  This shed is now a museum housing artifacts of the company.

I don't know if I'll ever make it to New Jersey, but if so, I'd love to visit the station and museum.  My husband and my son are both retired firefighters and it's always interesting to check out the history of the profession.

Introducing Mr. Shanahan

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE:

About 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon the fire alarm bell on Cleburne engine-house sounded a general fire alarm.  ... it was discovered that the boarding-house and saloon owned and occupied by Tim Shanahan was in flames.  ...  From Mrs. Shanahan we learn that the fire originated from a defective flue.   ...  Mr. Shanahan was not in condition to give lucid particulars,

                                                                                    Arkansas Gazette Nov. 12, 1876

& & & & & & & & & &



SHANAHAN'S BISCUITS

3 c. self rising flour                                        1 12-oz can of beer,
2 Tbsp. sugar                                                      room temperature

     Put flour and sugar in a bowl.  Add beer and stir.  Grease muffin tins and spoon in batter to 1/2 full.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes or till done.  Serve hot,  Makes about 2 dozen biscuits.  Enjoy.


          (Excerpt from my unpubished manuscript: Fighting Fires and Feeding Firefighters)

A New Station Opens

 



          1894, Little Rock, Arkansas,  expanded their fire department across the river
          to include Argenta, which years later would become North Little Rock.  The
          move was documented in the station's records:

June 14, 1894    Moved to Argenta with one hose cart collard with 2 men from Little Rock, Julian Davis, C.M. Gaynor, 1 man from this side named James O'Riley.  Went to work on the 14th of June.  One minute man went to work June 16th.  List of things sent over 2 horses, 500 ft. new rubber hose, 250 ft. binam hose, old hose, 2 spanners, 1 plug wrench, 2 slicker coats, 3woolen blankets, 2 reflecting lamps, 1 wash basin, 1 monkey wrench for hose cart,, 2 lamps for cart.
                                Co. No. 6  Log Book Entry    Little Rock Fire Department


 

Fire House Wieners

                            (from my unpublished cookbook Fighting Fires and Feeding Firefighters)

 

    

 

 

Ingredients:  1 can (14 1/2 oz.) stewed tomatoes     2 or 3 heaping Tbsp. salsa

                      1/2 pound wieners                              black pepper to taste

 

To prepare:  Put tomatoes and salsa into saucepan.  I use salsa strength preferred by the family.  Add pepper to taste.  Bring to boil over medium flame and let simmer for about 10 minutes.  Cut wieners

into about 1/2 " lengths.  Add wieners to tomatoes and cover.  Continue cooking until wieners are nice and plump, about 10 minutes.  Serves 2 or 3 people.  Serve with cheese toast.

 

* * * * * * *

                     

City Ordinance, Little Rock, Arkansas, 1866:

     The Fire Engineer in command was given the authority to direct the hook and ladder men to cut down and remove any building, erection or fence, for the purpose of checking the progress of the fire.  With the advice and agreement of two City Aldermen, the Engineer is also given the power to blow up and building or erection during the progress of a fire for the purpose of extinguishing the fire.

 

 

Kids and False Alarms

People have always needed a way to transmit information about disasters, especially fires.  For a long time they were limited to using bells, whistles, gun shots and watchmen in towers.  In the 1850's a Massachusetts physician came up with an alarm system using electromagnetics and the telegraph to send a coded message to a central fire station.  There were various improvements made and the Gamewell became very popular.

However, civilization progresses in many directions.  Such was the case with sending in a fire alarm.  There came a time when telephones were saturating neighborhoods and the fire alarm box was becoming obsolete.  That was when they became  a focal point for neighborhood kids.  They discovered that pulling the hook would bring firemen with their trucks rushing into the area.  It was fun for them, especially on those long hot summer days.  It reached a point where the majority of calls coming over the system were false alarms.

My husband was a fireman in Little Rock, Arkansas, for many years.  When an alarm from a box came in they would arrive to see all the neighborhood kids waiting for them.  They would lecture the kids and go back to the station only to have the process repeated.

One time they got there to find a five year old boy standing on a box he had used to get him up high enough to pull the alarm.  He was grinning with pride at doing the call successfully.  The police also made the run and the policeman asked the boy for his name and address.  He quickly gave the info to the cop.  My husband interjected, saying that's not a good address; they don't run that high in this area.

The policeman asked again.  The boy immediately provided a different name and address to the cop.  My husband again said, no way, it's not a good address.  By talking to the other kids it was eventually ascertained the address where the boy was said to live.  It was close by.  The cop and the firemen accompanied the boy to the home and a man soon answered their knock.

The cop explained what had happened and the boy must not do this again.  The man said he would take care of it.  When asked if he was the father, he replied, "No, but I'm closely associated with his mama."

Needless to say, this became one of the stories that circulated through the company.  And the phrase enjoyed a period of time when it was often used with their own kids when talking about discipline that could occur when something was reported back to their child's own mother.  "You better watch it, kid.  I'm closely associated with your mother and she'll help me get to the bottom of this situation."

In the early 1980's the boxes were deemed no longer necessary and were removed.  There was a resultant decline in the number of false alarms.  The neighborhood kids had to find something else to occupy their summer days of boredom.

The Pat Cleburne Steam Fire Engine

The Little Rock, Arkansas, fire department received a new steam fire engine in 1867, which was put into use as The Pat Cleburne.  This was celebrated in the news media of the day as follows:

          From the New Orleans, Louisiana, Crescent dated April 6, 1867, as reported in the
          Arkansas Gazette, April 14, 1867. 

     The New Steam Engine Pat Cleburne  The second class double Amoskeog engine Pat Cleburne, on its passage through (New Orleans) to Little Rock, was tried yesterday afternoon at the head of Canal Street.  ... it is the first fire engine of the kind that has been seen in this city.

          From the Arkansas Gazette, reported April 16, 1867.

     The Pat Cleburne  The new steam fire engine was taken ... for a trial of its capacities.  ...
     One of the streams was then cut off and an inch and one-eighth nozzle put on the other.  Through this, the water was sent to such a height that it was painful to the eyes to follow it upwards. ...
     The water in the cistern was beginning to get low, and the engine was removed ... and ... soon pumped the cistern full, showing that the Pat would make a first class garden pump or street sprinkler.         

 

The Trials of Early Firefighting

Firefighting has never been an easy job.  It still isn't.  The men attracted to the profession, whether volunteer or professional, are an independent lot as a rule, and have been known to shade the rules a smidgen here and there.  In my research I found a few examples of some of their actions.

Arkansas Gazette, April 10, 1858:     "We were at the fire on Saturday night, and though pleased with the zeal exhibited by the fire department we regretted their want of discipline; ... Such persons as have no authority to order or direct things should keep their counsel to themselves; or at any rate not interfere with those whose duty and province it is to give orders, and take a superintending charge on such occasion."

Corpus Christie, Texas, 1874:     "The Pioneer Fire company and the lone Star Hook and Ladder joined forces to become the Corpus Christie Fire Department.  When the volunteer firemen were called out on a fire, the nearest saloon commonly passed out a few rounds to the men who fought the fire.  This was instrumental in ensuring an adequate turnout of volunteer firemen."
Charleston, West Virginia, 1875:     "Bylaws of the Steam Fire Engine Company No. 1 expressly forbid firemen throwing water on each other."

Little Rock, Arkansas, October 1884:     "Minutes of the Defiance Hook & Ladder Co.:  No meeting because of superior attractions of a circus."

Little Rock, Arkansas, February 16, 1886:     "Minutes of the Defiance Hook & Ladder Co.:  Upon motion of Mr. Zeisler, Mr. Curtain was excused from payment of the fines charged against him for non-attendance at meeting on account of his inability to be out at night."

Montclair, New jersey, 1894:     "The fire department published a list of revised rules for their members, one of which prohibited the intentional collisions of fire apparatus while responding to an alarm."

Things are no doubt a little more organized and orderly today, but they are still good people who do a wonderful job looking out for all of us.  Both my husband and my son have been employed as firemen and I respect all those who provide this service.

And I love to see the stories of the evolution of their profession.

The Proper Lady

Fire has always been a hazard for people everywhere.  But when you live in a multistory building it can be especially difficult to escape the flames.  This was the situation in London, England in the 1890s.  They decided to make use of an escape chute.

An early fire department escape chute was fabric attached to a ladder and the person being rescued was put in the chute for a quick descent down to the street.  At first the users had a problem.  If going down the chute head first they just might end up hitting the head on the pavement, resulting in concussion.  Solution?  Use a canvas sheet suspended at the bottom to help exit with the head a bit elevated so it didn't wind up with a large pain.

It didn't take long for the firemen to learn to control their descent by pushing arms and legs against the fabric to help slow their progress as they sped to safety.  A man could go into the chute either head or feet first with the fireman behind hanging on to the victim's arms or legs.

However, it was not quite so easy with a lady.  She would be put in the chute head first.  The fireman would go in behind her, holding her skirt tightly around her ankles so her legs would not be exposed when she exited from the chute.

Now I'm all for a little public decency.  In fact, there are times in today's world when a little bit more of it might be a major force in achieving a more civil society.  But I must admit, in case of a fire, decency would not be my first thought.  I'd be yelling and screaming, "Get me out of here."  The last thing on my mind would be the exposure of my ankles.

But then, I didn't live in the 1890's.  And to that, I can only say, "Thank you, God."