A Fireman’s Story

A Fireman’s Story
Circa: 1950 - 1970
Chick Gallin

With very few exceptions, the majority of firehouses are laid out basically the same, for instance, they are 4 story buildings, with space behind, and on the sides of the building, for parking and or recreation areas.
Starting from the bottom to the top, there is a basement, used for storage of replacement equipment, extra hose, tools etc. Up in the northern states, where the weather does have an influence on the firehouse, there is a heating apparatus, and in many firehouses a fireman must see to the furnace, to make sure it is providing sufficient heat to keep the personnel, and the equipment, heated properly, in cold and inclement weather. The basement, could in some cases, where there is sufficient room, house a game room.
The first floor is for the apparatus, an Engine company (pumper), or a Hook and Ladder, or both, with some houses, a Chiefs car. It contains a house watch desk, many times enclosed, for the comfort of the house watch man, with a phone system to keep in contact with the entire firehouse and officers quarters. An intercom system, firebox indicator, and a logbook. It also contains along both sides of the apparatus, the fire clothing racks, with turnout gear, extra air tanks, for breathing apparatus and extra tools.
The second floor is for the sleeping quarters, for night tours and day tour sleeping and resting firefighters. It houses offices, for the working officers, also showers and toilet facilities, and lockers for their personal clothing.
The third floor contains the hose tower, for hanging wet hose, to dry out, plus extra replacement hose. Some houses have utilized the room for workout areas, with weights, and other workout equipment. The hose tower runs from the third floor to the basement, as a roll of hose is fifty feet long.
The average compliment of personnel assigned to a single apparatus firehouse consists of one Captain, three Lieutenants, and twenty Fire fighters. Four of the firemen are drivers and the others are the actual fire fighters.
In a two apparatus firehouse, those figures can be doubled, of course, these figures are not set in stone, as when necessary these figures can be increased or decreased as the need arises.
The shifts consist of two day tours, from 9 A.M. to 6 P.M. running concurrently, and two night tours, from 6 P.M. to 9 A.M. After the day tours there is a twenty four hour off time, and after the night tours the off time is forty eight hours. Thus, you work two days, and two night tours in a cycle.
Anyone can switch tours, with the approval of the working officer on the pickup tour. He can approve or reject the switch at his discretion.
On night tours, the men can sleep of course, if there are no calls. The house watch duties are broken up in four hour shifts, with the first shift usually filling in the last shift in the night tour. On day tours, house watch duty is usually lighter, as there are only three shifts of three hour duration. After the morning clean up, and the duty roster is assigned, the men are free to spend their time any way they choose, within the confines of the firehouse.
Unless agreed upon previously, meals are either group affairs, with one man doing the cooking, or it can be an individuals choice, according to the individuals likes or dislikes. Some men have a speciality that appeals to the entire group, so he cooks a meal for everyone. There are many times the mealtime has been interrupted, and or completely deleted, due to a single, or multiple fire calls, leaving the food to grow cold and spoil. Many of the guys bring their own meals, that can be resurrected whenever there is time. Coffee is the chief mainstay of every firehouse, and a pot is always going, every hour of the day and night.
Many times, on a quiet tour, a card game goes on, sometimes it’s Hearts, sometimes other games go on for hours. Down in the basement of some houses there are pool tables, ping pong, and shuffleboard or all three, if there is sufficient room. All these are purchased by the guy’s in the house, there can be lounge chairs, donated by neighbors, and TV’s, also, either purchased by the guys or donated to entertain the guys while they wait for the inevitable next call to action. Plenty of time they get more action than they really want, but that’s the life of a fireman.
Most of the time, the kitchen is housed on the first floor, in the rear of the house, and is usually fairly commercially equipped, with a good sized stove, refrigerator, and a large commercial coffee pot set up, and a large dining area. A sitting area, with comfortable chairs, is also used as a drill area, where the men are schooled and informed of new techniques, and daily pertinent information, by the officer in charge that day or night.