Do you have a favorite fire buff club, book, website or newsletter? Post it here! Don't be shy. Thanks.
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Do you have a favorite fire buff club, book, website or newsletter? Post it here! Don't be shy. Thanks.
GOOD BOOK DEPT: "While the Flames Raged" By Emmons E. Douglass (Engine House 1993). A fire buff classic! Covers the history of fire insurance patrols in the U.S. Lots of rare photos. Solid reporting. Today, the last active fire patrol helps protect NYC. But did you know patrols once served Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Duluth, Indianapolis, Louisville and others? Three cheers for the "patroleos"!
Listen to Indianapolis Fire dispatch and fireground talkgroups at:
www.oz.net/~gmcavoy/sw_scanr_audios.html
Vinny,
In response to your post on July 30 1999 about 33.9 MHZ. I live In Texas around the Houston area, and my Dept uses 33.8something or other. We get lots of skip from up "North". Sometimes it comes in so clear that it will wake us from sleep thinking we are dropping a call. It normally comes in best downhere around our "winters", Dec. and Jan. Also our Asst. Chief has a brother up north that uses 33.--- and says that sometimes they also get really clear skip. We also get skip from california, not real sure where though,, but you will here CHP sometimes. I am writting this because I always wandered if others received our skip from time to time.
[This message has been edited by eng41 (edited August 17, 1999).]
Hello Eng. 41. Yes skip on the low band is very common. Old timers here in Northern Virginia tell stories of talking to fire dispatchers in Texas and California when 33 Mhz was in use here in the 1950s and 1960s. One friend told me a funny story. He was driving a Fairfax County, VA., ambulance and marked on the scene. A puzzled dispatcher answered, and said he knew of no such call, no such address. The dispatcher, it turned out, was with another department in another state. The signal kipped clear cross the country. And for what it's worth I have heard skip on 33 Mhz and even 154 Mhz. Cheers.
Thank you FIRE12 for the Indy info. Regards.
Calling all buffs. Post your news, favorite books, etc., here. Thanks.
I am from the New England area so I am familiar with many of his references, I find Comm. Leo Stapletons books very enjoyable to read.I have read all of his books and find I can read one in one afternoon.
Thank you CFD-E3!
GREAT MUSEUM: Fireman's Hall in Philadelphia. In downtown, just off I-95. The museum traces the history of the fire service from Ben Franklin's days to the dawn of the 21st Century. Rigs on display include a steamer and the Giant Deluge, circa 1949. Admission is free. It's great!
Glad to hear you enjoyed our museum.
I was just there today and was telling FF. Harry Magee, who is the curator of the museum that I had placed a reply to your post about the new history of the Philadelphia Fire Dept. book.
Next time you are going to be in town, drop me a line and I'll try to set up a tour of a Fire Communication Center for you if you like.
Thank you John. That would be great. I visited the old Philly fire alarm in 1974. I believe it was in city hall back then. I was only a kid and dragged my mother and sister there. I guess I've been a buff for a quarter century! Cheers.
I am a fire buff in Roanoke Virginia. I have a local question that might be of national importance. In no way am i boasting. I have been a paid ff/emt here for about 6 months and this is a very old department. It has been a paid department for a very long time. Station 1 located on Church Ave. was built around 1900. It is still used. The station has bite marks on the side brick walls from where the horses used to bite at the brick..
Anyways I was wondering if maybe it is the oldest still operating firehouse in the nation. If anyone has any information pleas let me know. I am looking into it now. Thank you....
Hello Roanoke 9B. That's neat! I just happen to be reading a great book on the history of another old career department -- St. Paul, MN -- and I believe they have some old stations too. I bet yours is one of the oldest. There's one in Arlington, VA -- Cherrydale, a combination pid and volunteer station -- that was built around 1915 or 1920. I hope you get more answers! Cheers.
[This message has been edited by Vinny Del Giudice (edited September 15, 1999).]
To the Firehouse.com Web Team: Thanks for starting a FIRE BUFF section! Let's keep it going. Cheers. Vinny.
Thanks for the info. hopefully i will get more. Roanoke City Fire-EMS Dept. has a couple more really old stations. 3,5,9,7,8 are all very old too. I believe most of them were built in the 1910's to 20's. I am currently looking into all of this. I don't think there are any books on this info yet. But I do know that some time ago someone contacted Roanoke about the station saying it might be the oldest operating still. I have not heard anything else yet...
There are many old stations from the 1800's still active in New England. I know New Bedford, MA has 3 active stations built in 1882, 89 & 93. Lowell, MA Gorham St. station is believed to have been built in 1871. I'm sure either Boston or FDNY must have active stations that are even older.
Boston has been a paid municipal dept. since 1678.
Good link for Boston Buff's: http://www.geocities.com/~emba/fire.html
[This message has been edited by Truckie414 (edited September 16, 1999).]
Thank you for the information Truckie. I am glad someone has some information on this.
Thank you for the information Truckie. I am glad someone has some information on this. I am still looking for some info around here as to when the station was built..
Roanoke 9B -- Is there a local historical society? Maybe they can provide more info. Regards.