History of Houston Fire Department

The History of The Houston Fire Department starts at about the same time that The Allen (Augustus and John Kirby Allen) brothers founded Houston, the population quickly grew and the need for a fire department became necessary quickly.

Houston Fire Department
Motto: Semper Paratus (always prepared)
Established 1838
Staffing 266
Strength 4,100
Stations 90
Engines 86
Trucks 37
Squads 19
Rescues 8
Fireboats 15
EMS Units 57
EMS Level 25
Fire chief Terry A. Garrison

Contents

Foundation

In 1837, the town of Houston had grown so quickly that fires had become frequent. While log homes were more common, there were quite a few people that were living in tents. The original plat of Houston consisted of 62 blocks. By the end of 1837 there were over a 1,000 people within the city limits. Augustus Allen organized a bucket brigade, named it “Protection #1” and applied for a charter in 1838.[1]

On August 14, 1838, the city fathers formed Protection Fire Company No. 1 and constructed a firehouse for the company at the corner of Fannin and Preston. The fire company's motto was Semper Paratus ("Always prepared"). One of the first pieces of equipment was a large barrel with holes drilled on either side with a rod and two wheels placed on it with handles attached to the rod (“axle”) so that the men of the town could pull it. This barrel also had buckets attached with hooks at the top. By the end of 1847, Houston had cisterns and its first homemade fire engine which consisted of a big wooden box with wheels on it and a pump and a hole attached to the bottom of the pump. The pump would suck water out of the cistern into the box where the water would be pumped into the exit hose leading to the fire. This original homemade fire truck was stationed on what we know as Market Square.[1]

In 1848, the State of Texas granted a charter to Protection Fire Company No. 1, the first fire company chartered by the state.[1]

In 1852, Liberty Fire Company No. 2 was constructed on Franklin between Travis and Milam. Until 1858, the total firefighting force consisted of a pumper, a force pump, and several bucket brigades. The hook and ladder company was added in 1858 with the aid of prominent businessmen and was held at Company No. 1.[1]

In 1859 James A. Cushman was elected to be the first fire chief of the Houston Fire Department. Houston’s first cistern was created to help supply water for fire fighting and wooden buildings were banned from being built within four blocks of Main Street.

In 1865 Hook & Ladder No. 1 moved into new quarters at Franklin & Travis. Liberty No. 2 in 1866 purchased the first horse-drawn steamer. While in the same year, it was illegal to use water from the cistern for any uses other than for firefighting.[2]

Stonewall No. 3 was organized in 1867 with a donated hand pumper in Second Ward on the corner of Travis and Capitol. Protection No. 1 traded in its hand pumper for a steamer similar to one that Protection Company No. 1 currently had.

Mechanic No. 6 was organized in 1873 at Washington and Preston with a hand pump.

Brooks No. 5 was organized at Liberty and McKee in September 1874. It opened with a wagonload of chemicals and added a hose reel a later. The following year, the new fire company acquired the first chemical engine in the city. Stonewall No. 3 moved into new quarters on Travis between Prairie and Texas streets.

In 1878 a 25-year contract was established for a municipal waterworks using the water above tidewater of Buffalo Bayou. A New York firm was awarded the contract and the water lines were laid by the following summer. Mechanic No. 6 received a new hand pumper in 1878 and sold the old equipment to Rescue No. 7. (Junior fire companies, of which there were several over the years, were composed of boys too young to join a regular company.)

On July 10, 1879, the new water system, which had just been completed, was tested during a major fire at Congress and Main that involved a number of buildings. With the increased pressure available, the fire was put out in two hours. The downside to this was that the citizens had undrinkable water for several days every time there was a major fire.

In 1880, telephones were installed in all of the fire stations.

In 1881 Curtin No. 9 organized with a hose reel on Commerce between Travis and Milam, while this organization existed prior to this date, young men that were considered too young to join the other companies manned it.

Due to the inherent problems with a volunteer fire department being unable to respond to a fire in a timely manner, an attempt was made to establish a paid, full time fire department in 1882 to “ensure perfect discipline, if nothing more.” Several businessmen backed this movement, but the firefighters strongly objected.

The main reason fire companies didn’t respond promptly to fires was the city’s failure to provide supplies, engineers and drivers. One firefighter had reasoned that if the city wasn’t able to supply a “Volunteer” fire department, how could it manage a paid department? A number of the current and past firefighters were influential with their political and monetary clout and the proposal for a paid fire department was defeated.[2]

In 1882, Hook and Ladder No. 1 were destroyed in an arson fire by two dissatisfied members of the company due to the condition of the building and truck that resulted in the loss of the building and fire truck. The Structure and engine were immediately replaced.

In 1883, Stonewall No. 3 moved to a new location on Preston between Louisiana and Smith. The company had 25 active members.

Two artesian wells were drilled in 1887 to supplement the water from Buffalo Bayou for the distribution system. It was later determined to be the third largest artesian reservoir in the United States and in the same year Curtin No. 9 Fire Company relocated in the fire station abandoned when Brooks No. 5 disbanded in 1883.

Volunteer firefighters purchased a lot in Glenwood Cemetery on Washington Avenue in May 1888. It was intended for the burial of deceased members of the volunteer fire department. Cost of the cemetery lot was $300. The following month, firefighters began a drive to raise money for a monument to erect on the lot. They put on balls, picnics, theatricals, and other entertainment. Proceeds soon reached the needed amount, and a stone monument was ordered from a T. E. Byrnes. The following year the monument for the Glenwood Cemetery arrived in December 1889. Atop the monument was a marble statue made in Carrara, Italy. It was a life-size statue of Robert Brewster, the oldest living volunteer firefighter at the time.[2]

In 1889, Protection No. 1 moved into a two-story brick fire station at 612 Fannin.

Liberty No 2 disbanded in 1890, after its worn out steamer was sold for junk.

In 1892, the city began to pay one driver on each fire company. Paid drivers cared for the fire station and responded to all fires. They worked 24-7 and were paid $100 a year.

Washington No. 8 began operations on August 4 at 1307 Crawford with a Clapp and Jones steamer and a hose wagon. Seibert No. 10 organized a couple weeks later. Seibert opened with a hose wagon at 205 Chartres. A new steamer was ordered to go along with the hose wagon.

After several major fires destroyed several buildings and claimed several lives due to faulty equipment, Mayor John T. Brown gave his sanction for a paid department, after he learned the city did not have to buy the fire stations of the volunteers. The city only had to purchase the apparatus and horses; fire stations could be leased. Packard then drafted an ordinance, and the ordinance passed at the next meeting of the Board of Aldermen.

Formation of HFD from VFD

Houston's Volunteer Fire Department came to an end on June 1, 1895 with Chief Thomas Ravell was appointed fire chief of the new fully paid fire department. Chief Ravell met with the Fire Safety Committee of the Board of Aldermen to establish rules for the paid department. Paid firefighters would work 15 days straight followed by one day off. The schedule was then repeated. Firefighters would rotate on outside fire watch during the night, usually in two-hour shifts. Being absent twice from a firefighters post and drinking on duty were causes for termination. Ravell decided to allow firefighters an hour off three times a day for meals.

Some of the 350 volunteer firefighters were selected by Chief Ravell to fill the paid roster of 44 firefighters. More than one-half were single men who were paid housekeepers and drivers of the volunteer fire department and the remaining were officers and firefighters from the ranks of the volunteers. A few of the volunteers were listed as extra men, later referred to as supernumeraries. They were new recruits who were trained at a fire station and became firefighters as openings occurred.

Seven volunteer fire stations were taken over by the city. One was the station owned by members of Hook & Ladder No. 1 at San Jacinto and Prairie. It became the Central Station. Chief Ravell assigned Steamer No. 1, Steamer No. 2, Chemical No. 4, and Hook and Ladder No. 1 to the fire station.

The other six fire stations were:

The fire stations were leased by the city, and the fire apparatus and horses were purchased from the volunteers. The new Houston Fire Department began operations at one minute past midnight on Saturday, June 1, 1895.

In 1897, the city contracted with the Gamewell Company to expand the Gamewell fire alarm system.

In 1899,the first station constructed by the city was Station No. 7 at 2403 Milam at McIlhenny, Fire Station No. 10 at 205 Chartres was rebuilt at the same location in 1900.

1900

William W. Thomas, a volunteer who is credited with organizing Washington No. 8 and securing the equipment, was elected to the Board of Aldermen in 1900 and became chairman of the Board's fire committee. Three steamers were purchased for the paid department while he was chairman. One of the steamers, assigned to Station No. 2, was named in his honor.

In 1903, Houston doubled its size in the first annexation. Galvestonians had been flocking to Houston to resettle after the 1900 hurricane destroyed the island. Two fire stations (No. 3 and No. 6) were rebuilt in the newly annexed areas. The city went from nine square miles to 16 square miles (41 km2).

On February 8, 1904, a new central fire station opened at Texas Avenue and San Jacinto in 1904, to replace the old location due to a fire.

In 1905, James Appleby became the first commissioner of Fire and Police under the new city government.

On December 24, 1908, Fire Chief O'Leary was the first fire chief to die in the line of duty, while fighting a blaze at a railroad switchyard.

In 1910, a new position of Fire Marshal was created, and the fire department purchased its last steamer.

On February 21, 1912, The largest fire in Houston's history began at half past midnight. It was the Great Fifth Ward Fire. The night was cold because of a stiff norther blowing in. The fire started in an abandoned house at the corner of Hardy and Opelousas. Gale-force winds carried embers southward igniting dozens of wood-shingle roofs. By dawn, the fire had spread all the way to Buffalo Bayou. It had jumped the bayou where the fire was finally stopped. Destroyed in the wake of the Fifth Ward conflagration was a church, a school, 13 industrial plants, eight stores, and 119 dwellings. Value of the property loss exceeded $3-million. Miraculously, no one died in the conflagration nor was severely injured.[3]

Houston firefighters came under city civil service on May 1, 1914. All of the firefighters were put on probation for one year. Future firefighters would be given medical, physical, and moral examinations and serve an eighteen-month probation period.

Fire Station No. 11 was built on Washington at Fowler shortly after annexation of the city of Brenner. Station 11 got the first piece of motor fire apparatus built in the motor repair shop at central fire station. Fire Station No. 12 went in at Sumpter and West in 1916

A motorized tractor was added to the horse-drawn water tower in 1918. Most Horse-drawn equipment was replaced with motorized equipment by 1919.

Fire Station 15 was built the same year at Houston Avenue and North Main. It opened as a hose company.

Commissioner Allie Anderson had been a firefighter and knew of the incredible strains the current work schedule involved, so he created a second platoon in 1921. The two platoons then alternated monthly between 10-hour day shifts and 14-hour night shifts. In the same year, all of the fire apparatus had been motorized. The last of the horses were retired to a city park. Fire Station No 16 went in at 1413 Westheimer and Yupon in 1923.

Because major fires downtown snarled traffic, and onlookers interfered with firefighters, Fire Commissioner Allie Anderson appointed a safety committee in 1924. The purpose of the committee was to respond to major fires and assist police in controlling the traffic and the crowds. He also ordered firefighters to inspect buildings that were potential fire hazards, and planned to create a fire prevention division. A new central fire station opened at the corner of Preston and Caroline in 1924. Both the offices of the fire and police departments occupied upper floors of the five-story structure. Included was the city jail. Fire alarm and police dispatchers shared the penthouse. Members of the department organized the Houston Fire Fighters’ Benevolent Association in 1924. Each firefighter was asked to donate two dollars a month to help pay funeral expenses of active and retired firefighters.

Another huge annexation by the city caused several more fire stations to be added:

The City of Harrisburg was part of the annexation of 1926. The city had two fire stations that were absorbed into the HFD:

In 1927, Fire Station No 23 opened at 824 San Antonio and Manchester. A training facility, another recommendation of NBFU, was built beside the central fire station in 1928 at the corner of Preston and Austin. The training facility had a five-story drill tower with a smoke basement, and a small building beside the tower to teach ventilation. Two more fire stations opened that year:

Fire Helmets were provided by the fire department beginning around 1930. The first helmet was made of a composite material that was essentially cardboard heavily coated with shellac and paint. It had an extended brim attached to the back of the helmet. Three hundred of the helmets were purchased. Bullard Company manufactured the helmets, and the design was called "Hardboiled." Chief Seibert said the helmets were "light-weight and well-ventilated."

In 1930, Fire Station 26 opened at Broadway and Park Place. The Harris County Emergency Corps was organized in 1931 to provide first aid at emergencies, and to train firefighters in first aid and resuscitation. The Corps also performed salvage work at fires.

A salvage wagon went in service sometime in the latter 1930s and ran out of Fire Station No. 1. It carried large tarpaulins, called salvage covers, which were used to protect furniture and goods from water during a fire. The Harris County Emergency Corps had performed salvage work. The salvage wagon was later moved to Station 2. Working hours of firefighters were reduced in 1939 to an average of 72 per week. The new schedule had the two platoons switching between the day shift and night shift each week instead of monthly. They still worked 10 hours on the day shift and 14 hours on the night shift. Fire Station No. 27 went in service in 1940 at 6302 Lyons and Kress. It was a two-story, one-bay building of Classical Revival style architecture and was designed by Houston architects, Hamilton Brown and Howard E. Westfall.

In 1941, Fire Station 28 opened at Berry and Louisiana, and Fire Station No. 4 was moved to 4106 S. Shepherd and Banks. Fire underwriters had recommended the move of Station 4 to southwest of the city. A ladder and district chief were added to the new station.

Two-way radios were installed in district chief's cars in 1944 and ended the dependence on street fire alarm boxes to communicate with fire dispatchers.

A huge annexation of areas surrounding Houston in 1949 doubled the size of the city. Reserve fire apparatus and grass fire trucks (boosters) were put into several volunteer fire stations that were swallowed up in the annexation. A citizen donated a track of land at Berry Road and Jensen Drive for a new fire station. New fire stations from the annexation were:

1950

The workweek of firefighters was reduced to an average of 60 hours on October 1, 1950. Firefighters rotated between a 10-hour day shift for a week and 14-hour night shift for a week. The day shift switched to the night shift by working 24 hours on Mondays. The Monday became known as "Long Monday," and was dreaded by many of the firefighters. The night shift got Mondays off when firefighters changed to days. Each firefighter received two days off each week, one more off day than was granted under the old work schedule. Dry powder fire extinguishers were introduced into the department in 1951. The new type of extinguishing agent made it possible to fight small metal fires. The largest purchase of fire apparatus in the department's young history amounted to 19 pumpers and ladder trucks in 1952. American LaFrance manufactured them all.

Fire Station 34 was built on a donated lot at 2812 Berry Rd. and Jensen in 1952. The station was headquarters for new District 8. The following year a new Station 28 opened at 5116 Westheimer near Sage.

Self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) were put on the cars of the district chiefs and on all ladder trucks in 1953. Development of furnishings made of synthetic fibers and plastics made breathing more difficult during fires. Yet, the old "leather-lung" firefighters ignored the new breathing apparatus. They had a tradition to uphold, that of a "smoke-eater." Later after engine companies were furnished SCBA, the airpacks were usually buried under other equipment in the basket of the engines. A firefighter was considered a wimp for some years, if he donned an airpack at a fire. Fire Station 35 opened in 1953 at Holmes Rd. and South Park Blvd.

Around the 1950s, funeral homes still provided emergency medical transportation services; at a point the Houston Fire Department would take over that role.[4]

In 1954, all first line fire apparatus were equipped with 2-way radios. Only chief cars had radios prior to this time. Each ladder company was equipped with 12 salvage covers. This allowed salvage work to begin much sooner in outlying districts. Only the salvage wagon, located at Station No. 2 downtown, had salvage covers, and its response time to outlying areas was taking too long as the city expanded and Fire Station 41 opened at 805 Pearl and Amarillo.

The first black firefighters were hired in August 1955. There were ten, but one flunked out of training. The remaining nine rookies were assigned to Fire Station No. 42, a recently annexed fire station located in a predominantly black neighborhood near the Ship Channel. With the Texas City Disaster still in mind, Houston Fire Department and the chemical companies along the Ship Channel organized into a group pledged to aid each other in the event of a disaster. The group was called the Houston Ship Channel Industries Disaster Aid Organization.

On the last day of 1956, Houston doubled its size with another huge annexation. It included areas served by 13 volunteer fire departments. Houston Fire Department kept seven of the stations as permanent fire stations and assigned one firefighter to each station. Volunteers at the fire stations continued to respond to fires.

At the beginning of 1963, a third shift was created and reduced the average workweek of the firefighters from 60 hours to 56 hours. Firefighters now worked three 10-hour days, three 14-hour nights, and then were off three full days. One hundred, two promotions were made to cover the extra shift.

In late 1965, city council raised salaries of firefighters by $50 to spur recruitment. Top pay for veteran firefighters was only $464 per month, the lowest paid firefighters among cities with populations of one million or more. The low pay hampered recruitment, and only three men frequently manned pumper companies. Manning of ladder companies sometimes fell to two laddermen.

A new 4-story headquarters opened at 410 Bagby on February 1, 1968. Fire Station No. 1 occupied the first and second floors. Administrative offices were on the third floor, and offices of Fire Prevention and Arson occupied the fourth level. In April 1969, a new central motor repair shop and maintenance complex opened at 1010 Girard. Cost of the complex was $600,000.

Houston's new Intercontinental airport opened in the summer of 1969 twenty miles (32 km) north of downtown. Fire Station No. 54 housed several crash rescue trucks and was located at the end of the two runways.

The new fire training facility at 8030 Braniff Street, just south of Hobby Airport, opened on November 10, 1969. The facility had two classrooms, a service garage, a multipurpose auditorium, and an office building. At the rear of the 15-acre (61,000 m2) site were a six-story drill tower and a two-story fire building for recruit training.

On March 31, 1975, Linda Honeycutt began her training at the Fire Training Academy. She became the first female firefighter and was assigned to Fire Station No. 9. A new fire alarm building opened in December at Preston and Bagby, across Preston from the new fire headquarters and Fire Station No. 1.

On July 31, 1979 the city's second largest fire in history erupted at the Woodway Square Apartments in west Houston, spreading over an area equal to about 10 city blocks which went to seven alarms and required 130 firefighters.[5] The loss was put at $30 million, but there were no deaths or serious injuries,[6] but left 600 people homeless.[7] The size and rapid expansion of the fire were blamed on wooden shingles, which prompted a change in building codes.[8]

In 1980, city council authorized two reductions in the workweek of firefighters. First a Kelly Day dropped the average workweek to 50 hours. The second reduction substituted a platoon day for the Kelly day. The platoon day gave firefighters 24 hours off after every sixth shift, and lowered to 46.7 hours the average workweek. Preservation of old Fire Station No. 7 as a fire museum began in 1980. The station had been proclaimed a fire museum by city council in 1977, but little was done to preserve the building. Chief Rogers assigned Captain Calvin Mendel to oversee the renovation project.

Seven rescue/salvage trucks were put in service in 1981, permitting the old salvage truck and special equipment van to be removed from service. Eight new telesquirt pumpers also went on line. By 1981, all pumpers were outfitted with 4-inch (100 mm) supply lines. The switchover from the old two-and-a-half-inch hose began in 1980. Hours were reduced to 46.7 hours per shift.

Headquarters was moved to the Logistic Center at 1205 Dart Street. The vacated space on the third floor at Fire Station No. 1 was taken over by Fire Prevention and EMS.

In January 1986, fire dispatchers began answering calls through the new 9-1-1 system. Six of the 22 fire districts were eliminated, and four quadrants were established. Deputy chiefs were moved out of headquarters to command the new quadrants, and reported directly to the fire chief. Also the photography section and Street Index were closed down. Arson investigators now had to take their own pictures. The aides were transferred to fire apparatus. Chiefs would have to drive themselves. If they needed an aide at a fire, they grabbed one of the firefighters on the scene. The largest acquisition of apparatus in the department's history took place in this year. Twenty-two engines, 16 ladders, and 30 ambulances were purchased.[2] In 1987, mobile automatic status terminals (MAST) were installed on all fire and EMS units. The terminals ended the excessive radio transmissions on the fire frequency. A button on the MAST was pressed by the officer to report his status, which was recorded in the dispatch computer.

The city once again went north this time to annex the 1960 area and the HFD built a temporary Station #96 at West Greens Road and Mills in 1995. In 1999 a new Station #96 was built at Willow Chase and Breton Ridge to service the Willowbrook Mall area and opened in 2000.

In 1995, Houston expanded its city limits again to stretch out to the 1960 area and Kingwood area,this resulted in HFD to build a temporary station #96 at west Greens Road and Mills to help service the Willobrook Mall area, which was completed in 2000. The Kingwood annexation resulted in the Kingwood Volunteer Fire Department to dispand after HFD took over or built new stations. They were numbered in the following sequence for the Houston Fire Department:[1]

On May 25, 1991, the department added a fourth shift that created hundreds of new promotions. Under the new work schedule, firefighters had to work one of their off-days about every six weeks to keep the average workweek at 46.7-hour hours. The new mayor named Fire Marshal Eddie Corral fire chief in 1992. Corral became the first Hispanic fire chief in the city's history.

District Chief Lester Tyra replaced Chief Corral in 1998 after a new mayor took office. Chief Tyra was the fifth fire chief who had served previously as president of the firefighters' union (1970–90). Chief Tyra immediately instituted a self-evaluation of the department which resulted in:

  1. a 5-year strategic plan
  2. risk analysis of fire districts
  3. recognition as a leader department in 2000 by the country's fire chiefs and city managers.

He won approval for the purchase of 55 engines, six ladder trucks, three ladder towers, and a hazmat foam engine. (The new equipment was to replace 60 percent of the first-line apparatus.) In 1999, thermal imagers, which improved the search for victims and hidden fire, were bought and placed on all ladder trucks, hazmat units, and rescue trucks. Also, Fire Prevention was beefed up with the addition of 17 new fire inspector positions.[2]

2000

Station No. 1 located at Bagby and Preston and Station No. 8 located at Polk and Crawford from 1970 was closed in 2001 for construction of the Houston Aquarium and Toyota Center, respectively. Stations 1 and 8 were combined and relocated to the corner of Milam and St. Joseph and Station 8 was reopened in June 2001 in a temporary leased building.[9][10]

Hurricane Katrina put a load on the Houston Fire Department. Firefighters were pressed into service in early September 2005, to triage the refugees that poured into Houston to escape flooded New Orleans. The firefighters worked 24/7 at three refugee sites, the Astrodome, Astro Arena and the Brown Convention Center. Some 40,000 refugees from Hurricane Katrina settled in before the later bus loads of hurricane refugees were directed to other cities in Texas.[2]

On March 28, 2007, a fire went through a mid-rise, located at 9343 East Loop near North Loop, which was complicated by the windy conditions. The fire, later determined to be arson, claimed the lives of 3 civilians and the structural integrity of the 60,000-square-foot (5,600 m2) building was compromised.[12][13] A report on how the response was later published criticizing HFD's handling of the fire including lapses in communication, failure of immediately dispatching additional units when fire was upgraded, and firefighters were "freelancing", adding to the chaos. The report also praised the firefighters for their improvisation in fighting the fire and rescuing their fellow firefighters trapped in the building. In spite of the report being critical of the response, no disciplinary action will be taken and will instead be used as a training tool.[14][15]

On April 21, 2008, the crews from the temporary station moved into the new "Super Station" No. 8 located at 1919 Louisiana at its completion.[10]

On January 7, 2009, Officer Development Center and Training Simulator at the HFD Training Academy at 8030 Braniff was opened during a ceremony. At a cost of 2.6 million dollars, the 10,000-square-foot (930 m2) ODC, designed by firefighters, will provide realistic fire situations that an officer may encounter while on a call in the field.[16]

On February 23, 2010, the investigation of the April 12 fire of the previous year concluded that a variety of mistakes were made that resulted in the deaths of a Fire Captain and a rookie. Among the mistakes included were being separated in the structure and radio procedures not followed. No disciplinary action will be taken to anyone present at the fire.[23] The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health later released a report that confirmed what was stated in a previous investigation.[24]

On January 28, 2011, plans were announced to refurbish former fire station #27 in Denver Harbor into apartments for firefighters coming to Houston for medical treatment and it will be renamed the Hamilton Brown House. Former Houston City Councilman Peter Brown put up an initial $53,000 for the property, and was looking for an additional $400,000 to complete the project. It was Brown's father who designed the station back in 1940. The Hamilton Brown House will be the first of its kind in the country. [30][31]

(Line of Duty Deaths)

Station 1: Thomas A. O'Leary, Robert Rutherford Glass, Harry Dodd, J. A. "Bob" Boyd, Claude W. Edmonds, Vernon John Dorsett, Joseph Earl Connor, Charley Albert Middlekauf, Fidel Chabolla, Frank Catino, Thomas Norwood Cooper.

Station 2: William Walter Walker, Claude Jackson Hopkins, Jay Paul Jahnke.

Station 3: Clifford A. Weise

Station 4: George L. Bishop

Station 5: Emil Thompson, Rufus John Templet

Station 6: Patrick O'Hara

Station 7: Barney C. Moffatt, Alfred Henry Schutze, Robert Wier Milburn, Lewis Washington Richardson, Lonnie Louzette Franklin, Jackie Dunham Ludwick.

Station 8: Frank W. Medlenka, Herman J. Wagner, Clifford W. Johnson, Joseph James Solito

Station 9: Harold A. Denny

Station 10: James Magerson Smith, H. A. Harris, Horrace O. Gassoway

Station 14: Charles Roland Rusk

Station 17: Esker J. Rogers, Delbert Harvey Sherfy

Station 18: Edgar H. Grant, Harry L. Oxford, John Sellis Little Sr., John Benjamin Adams

Station 19: Aaron Loyola O'Brien, William Henry Kersten, Doyle Hubert Chandler Jr.

Station 24: Woodrow Wilson Erwin

Station 25: Rudolph L. Hendricks, Ruben Lopez

Station 26: James Edward Lowth, James Arthur Harlow Sr., Damion Jon Hobbs

Station 30: Charles A. Jedlicka, Willis Neal McWhorter

Station 37: Dominic J. Contorno, Steve Charles Baranowski

Station 46: Grady Don Burke

Station 50: Kelvin Wayne Kulow

Station 51: James Louis Walls, Jr.

Station 62: robert Munguia Reyes

Station 76: Kimberly Ann Smith, Lewis E. Mayo III

Station 92: Steven Clyde Mayfield

Training Academy: Truxton Joseph Hathaway Jr.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Evans, Jay (2005). "History Of Stations". City Of Houston. Archived from the original on 2007-07-14. http://web.archive.org/web/20070714062218/http://www.houstontx.gov/fire/abouthfd/history.html#THE%20ORIGINAL%20STATIONS%201%20-%2028. Retrieved 2007-07-22. 
  2. ^ a b c d e f "History Of Stations". http://www.houstonfiremuseum.org/history/index.htm-%2028. Retrieved 2007-07-22. 
  3. ^ Houston fire Museum Archives
  4. ^ Gonzalez, J. R. "The Zindler tapes: The return of "The Roving Mike"." Houston Chronicle. September 2, 2009. Retrieved on September 4, 2009.
  5. ^ Call that retiring fire chief feared never came
  6. ^ 150 YEARS OF FIREFIGHTING/The history of the Houston Fire Department
  7. ^ The next steps after house fires/Families clean up; county seeks laws
  8. ^ Wood shingles targeted/Officials may ban them after 2 fires
  9. ^ City of Houston Fire Station No. 1
  10. ^ a b City of Houston Website FIRE STATION 8
  11. ^ Firefighters sculpture emphasizes emotion
  12. ^ Suspect in Houston office fire appears in court
  13. ^ Houston Fire Museum
  14. ^ Report critical of HFD in fatal North Loop office fire
  15. ^ Houston Fire Department releases report on fatal mid-rise blaze
  16. ^ Grand Opening of State of The Art Training Facility
  17. ^ Police will cite HFD ladder truck driver in crash
  18. ^ Bicyclist injured in HFD accident dies
  19. ^ HFD mourns firefighters killed in line of duty
  20. ^ Firefighters took different paths to tragic end
  21. ^ 4-alarm blaze strikes Gallery Furniture warehouse
  22. ^ Looking for a cause of the Gallery fire
  23. ^ Six errors cited in deaths of fire captain and rookie
  24. ^ Feds detail errors in fighting fatal fire
  25. ^ Arizona fire chief apparent choice to lead HFD JAMES PINKERTON HOUSTON CHRONICLE Aug. 24, 2010, 9:53PM
  26. ^ HFD officially has a new fire chief khou.com Posted on September 15, 2010 at 12:53 PM
  27. ^ a b Cause Not Yet Known In 3-Alarm High-Rise Fire
  28. ^ [1] Smoke raises alarms at Houston's JP Morgan Chase
  29. ^ Building still closed day after skyscraper blaze
  30. ^ Unique project for firefighters in need
  31. ^ THE HAMILTON BROWN HOUSE code 3 for a cure foundation website.
  32. ^ Glenn, Mike (2011-9-14). "Fire crews fight to keep blaze confined to George Bush Park". Houston Chronicle. http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Fire-crews-fight-to-keep-blaze-confined-to-George-2169439.php. Retrieved 2011-09-20. 

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