40th Anniversary: “Frozen Fire Engine” Published in the First Issue

May 10, 2016
Bill Noonan reflects on how he got his start with Firehouse Magazine—in the charter issue.

In February 1976, the City of Boston had one of the largest fires ever when the old Plant Shoe Building in Jamaica Plain burned. The weather was heavy rain with temperatures way above freezing. I was not working but went to the fire and got some spectacular photos. One of these photos was the “Frozen Fire Engine,” which was the Mack Hose Wagon of Engine Co. 7 totally encrusted in ice, which was taken two days later, after the temperatures dropped to way below freezing.

A few months after the fire, I was asked by the Boston Fire Department Public Information Officer Captain John Collins if I would like to submit several photos of the Plant Shoe Fire to accompany a story that was being written by a local newspaper reporter for a new fire magazine. I knew nothing about the new magazine, but if a photo or two would be published, that would be great—but I didn’t expect much.

When the magazine arrived I was pleasantly surprised to see several of my photos were in the new magazine. It was an honor to be published in the first issue of Firehouse and something I will always remember. That was the first of many issues in which I had photos published along with quite a few cover photos. Those were always the best.

I always enjoyed working with Harvey Eisner, and he treated me great. I miss him. It was always nice to meet the people behind the magazine at the Croton-on-Hudson fire musters back in the 1980s.

After nearly 40 years with the Boston Fire Department, I retired in 2011, so my fire photography has also slowed down. I have great memories of my photos published in Firehouse over many years. Thanks for this opportunity to say a few words about my experiences with Firehouse.

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