IzzyEng4

This is what caught my eye. How many "stove pipe" leather parade hats are left in existence? Here is a few and three of them are from the Columbia, Hibernia and Franklin companies of Washington (if my memory serve me correctly from the tour).

The helmet on the top right rack in this picture was given to the Washington firemen from a chief of Baltimore during the Great Fire in their town. DC's firemen went to assist their brothers in Baltimore when the call came out. The helmet was given in appreciation of their response. After loading up their equipment on a train, the DC firemen arrive in Baltimore in 30 minutes at full steam. Quite a speed back then.






DCFD members used leather helmets then switched to the aluminum Senators for a while. Then they switched to the old "duck-bill" style then to a more modern Carins composite. Now members can wear their own leather helmets as long as its an approved one by OSHA (there is that four-lettered dirty word!! ).

This case had some interesting items from the old days.

Helmet shields from the volunteer days and a typical old style "hand-tub" used before the paid department.

Close up on a lantern. A little history on this piece, the number of the does not meet up with the company name in DCFD's history. It came from elsewhere and DCFD put the number 15 on it.

Here's for the Gamewell fans. 1895 alarm decoder.

And the back.

This is the view when you walk into the door on the third floor. The history in this room spans two centuries.

This is a department picture from the early 1900s. Though you couldn't have the entire department there at the Capitol, this was one heck of a "cut and paste" photo of the department. Not bad for an age without computers. The active firehouse for the time surround the photo and the chiefs, assistants and company officers are in between (sorry for the blurry photo). We complain having no staffing and crappy work hours. How about working 7 days a week, then get 1 day off, 3 hours a day for meals, and if someone was out sick or on vacation, your day off was automatically cancelled!!!

Next is the size of the City of Washington, District of Columbia prior to the annexation of Georgetown, Maryland and areas north of the line shown in this map. Originally Arlington, Virginia was part of the District of Columbia but was given back to Virgina before the current DC limits.

Okay fellow union workers, and I mean all union workers. How would you like to have to petition Congress for a pay raise????

I took a trip to the Nation's Capitol a few days ago for the first time. My original intention was to meet our President and our House Speaker over at the Billy Goat Tavern to have a "Cheezborger" and "a Pepsi, no Coke" to try an fix this money mess we are in. Needless to say, they never took up my offer so I can tell them ............. well you know.
ANYWAY....... right across the street from the Billy Goat is Engine Company No. 3 aka "Columbia Fire Company" which was originally organized in 1804 to protect Capitol Hill. When the DCFD was transformed into a paid department, the Columbian volunteers became a paid unit. The current firehouse was erected in 1916 and house Engine 3 and Truck 1. Both units had been disbanded do to budget cuts but Engine 3 was reactivated a short time later, Truck 1 never was re-activated. Engine 3 also operates Engine 52, which is a "water supply wagon".
Located on the third floor of the firehouse is the Friendship Fire Association & Museum. The unit is comprised of fire buffs and retired members. I took a few pics to share, please give me a few minutes to up load them all. Also when you click on the photo, the will enlarge greatly so you can zoom in on the details.

Okay, some more.

This is a replica of a typical response back during the 1960s for the DCFD. Up until the 1990s, all engine companies ran with two pieces, the engine and the hose wagon. So you would typically get three engine companies (6 pumpers), a ladder company, the rescue squad and a battalion chief. The hose wagons would take the hydrant and lay into the scene then the engine attachment would hook up to the hydrant and pump to the hose wagon. One of the big thing DCFD is key on is to "cover the rear". One engine company always goes to the rear of the building due to the way they are situated in the city.

Badges from the US.

Badges and patches from other countries.

This is a replica of a typical response back during the 1960s for the DCFD. Up until the 1990s, all engine companies ran with two pieces, the engine and the hose wagon. So you would typically get three engine companies (6 pumpers), a ladder company, the rescue squad and a battalion chief. The hose wagons would take the hydrant and lay into the scene then the engine attachment would hook up to the hydrant and pump to the hose wagon. One of the big thing DCFD is key on is to "cover the rear". One engine company always goes to the rear of the building due to the way they are situated in the city.

Since this is an active firehouse, it is fitting to show you what's on the main floor. Unfortunately I was not able to get up to the crew quarters on the second floor since I was press for time to catch my train.
Engine 3



Engine 52 (LDH Water Supply Wagon)



DCFD runs 4 men on an engine, 5 on trucks and 5 on the rescues as well as staffing additional units. Since Engine 3 is a "water supply company" they run a second "wagon" with LDH instead of three inch supply line. The day I was there, Engine 3 was heavy with a staffing of 5, so one member stayed behind with the wagon. If there is a four member crew, one member comes off the engine and drives the hose wagon to the scene together. If Engine 3 is out on an alarm with no one in the firehouse left behind, another company will pick up this unit and response to the scene with it. Also it is available to be staffed upon call back for large incidents.
If you get a chance to go down and visit our Capitol, definitely pay a visit. Just one suggestion, go in the spring or fall as it's really humid down there this time of year!
Hope you enjoyed the pics!

This is the meeting room for for the FFA and its contents.


Response proclamation of DCFD and FFA to the Pentagon September 11, 2001.

The Constitution and By-Laws of the Columbia Fire Company.

A really neat picture of DC's ten Hahn fire engines shortly after their delivery and lined up in front of their most famous first due building. This was the biggest single order of apparatus at one time by what I was told.

I took a trip to the Nation's Capitol a few days ago for the first time. My original intention was to meet our President and our House Speaker over at the Billy Goat Tavern to have a "Cheezborger" and "a Pepsi, no Coke" to try an fix this money mess we are in. Needless to say, they never took up my offer so I can tell them ............. well you know.
ANYWAY....... right across the street from the Billy Goat is Engine Company No. 3 aka "Columbia Fire Company" which was originally organized in 1804 to protect Capitol Hill. When the DCFD was transformed into a paid department, the Columbian volunteers became a paid unit. The current firehouse was erected in 1916 and house Engine 3 and Truck 1. Both units had been disbanded do to budget cuts but Engine 3 was reactivated a short time later, Truck 1 never was re-activated. Engine 3 also operates Engine 52, which is a "water supply wagon".
Located on the third floor of the firehouse is the Friendship Fire Association & Museum. The unit is comprised of fire buffs and retired members. I took a few pics to share, please give me a few minutes to up load them all. Also when you click on the photo, the will enlarge greatly so you can zoom in on the details.

Great pics! My friend has lived in the apartment building that houses E-40 / L-35 for many years. Usually when I'm down there visiting, I stop in to say hello. I still recognize the names on the shift board from 9/11, though I didn't know them well, I remember meeting most of those fellows over the years.

Here are some of mine.

As always, all of these photos are mine and can’t be used without my consent. If you enjoy these, you might want to check out all of my photos from today. They can be found on my flickr page (link below)

He had an lol in the sentence, I think he got it!

Date: 7/7/2011
Time: Approx 14:05
Location: 26 Main Street
Frequency: 453.5625
Units Operating: EHFD E-1 (quint), E-3, E-4, E-5, R-1, R-3, Sq-2, Branford E-1, Truck 1
Stanby units: EHFD E-6 & Branford E-2 at HQ, N. Branford E-1 at Station 3 (Foxon)
Weather Conditions: Humid, partly cloudy
Description Of Incident:
14:05 - E. Haven FD dispatched to a report fire on roof of a commercial structure, reported to be an HVAC unit.
14:09 - Car 1 now command reporting 2/12 wood commercial, heavily involved roof area. Car 1 requesting cover company in town.
14:10 - Command requesting Engine 3 to lay in another feeder.
14:12 - Branford dispatch to cover EHFD Hq. (Engine 4 to cover), North Branford Engine to cover Station 3 (Foxon)
14:13 - Branford Engine 1 & Truck 1 to staging at scene. Interior crews calling for line to be charge. Truss construction, partial collapse on Second floor, pulling out. Calling for deck gun of engine after pull out. Command ordering everyone out of the structure.
14:17 -Master stream being trained on the HVAC unit, not through the vent hole. BFD Truck 1 all the way to the back next to EHFD Engine 1. BFD Engine 1 looking for another water source.
14:22 - Engine 5 to take a hydrant and lay in per command. Command cancelling order, Engine 5 to back in and reverse lay to the hydrant.
14:24 - Branford to open up roof on south side, command giving okay but to have BFD crew to remain on ladder.
Branford Engine 1 is to reverse lay to a water source from scene. Command reporting interior crews to move to middle section of building, performing end-gable cut, hose crew be prepare to prevent it from extending past them.
14:25 (approx) - Branford Engine 2 now being dispatched for cover in East Haven.
14:27 - North Branford Engine 1 going to another alarm, brush fire (unknown location)
14:30 - Collapse to the rear portion of the building, front of building still not involved with fire as of yet. Progress being made, personnel to remain out of rear portion of building.
14:33 - Engine 5 pumping to Engine 4. Command asking if Engine 4 can supply feeder to Branford T-1 if needed. Also pulling a 2 1/2 line to crews off of Engine 4.
14:35 - Command reporting main body for fire knocked down. Operations requesting to shut down master streams so they can inspect inside and begin overhaul with fresh crews.
14:37 - Compromised roof as reported, UI secured power to building.
14:42 - Checking on a firefighter at scene, dispatch asking command if second ambulance needed. Command reporting no patient transports at this time. Standby ambulance on scene and 5-Charlie-50 (AMR supervisor) checking out FF.
14:47 - Command telling Ops a fresh crew standing by. Ops reporting master stream ineffective on collapsed portion due to it being compacted.
14:53 - Command to EHFD dispatch reporting incident under control. Branford Engine 1 and Truck 1 in process of picking up per BFD Car 6.
14:55 - Ops reporting to command overhaul in progress on second floor.
Reporter & Writer: IzzyEng4

Date: 7/7/2011
Time: Approx 14:05
Location: 26 Main Street
Frequency: 453.5625
Units Operating: EHFD E-1 (quint), E-3, E-4, E-5, R-1, R-3, Sq-2, Branford E-1, Truck 1
Stanby units: EHFD E-6 & Branford E-2 at HQ, N. Branford E-1 at Station 3 (Foxon)
Weather Conditions: Humid, partly cloudy
Description Of Incident:
14:05 - E. Haven FD dispatched to a report fire on roof of a commercial structure, reported to be an HVAC unit.
14:09 - Car 1 now command reporting 2/12 wood commercial, heavily involved roof area. Car 1 requesting cover company in town.
14:10 - Command requesting Engine 3 to lay in another feeder.
14:12 - Branford dispatch to cover EHFD Hq. (Engine 4 to cover), North Branford Engine to cover Station 3 (Foxon)
14:13 - Branford Engine 1 & Truck 1 to staging at scene. Interior crews calling for line to be charge. Truss construction, partial collapse on Second floor, pulling out. Calling for deck gun of engine after pull out. Command ordering everyone out of the structure.
14:17 -Master stream being trained on the HVAC unit, not through the vent hole. BFD Truck 1 all the way to the back next to EHFD Engine 1. BFD Engine 1 looking for another water source.
14:22 - Engine 5 to take a hydrant and lay in per command. Command cancelling order, Engine 5 to back in and reverse lay to the hydrant.
14:24 - Branford to open up roof on south side, command giving okay but to have BFD crew to remain on ladder.
Branford Engine 1 is to reverse lay to a water source from scene. Command reporting interior crews to move to middle section of building, performing end-gable cut, hose crew be prepare to prevent it from extending past them.
14:25 (approx) - Branford Engine 2 now being dispatched for cover in East Haven.
14:27 - North Branford Engine 1 going to another alarm, brush fire (unknown location)
14:30 - Collapse to the rear portion of the building, front of building still not involved with fire as of yet. Progress being made, personnel to remain out of rear portion of building.
14:33 - Engine 5 pumping to Engine 4. Command asking if Engine 4 can supply feeder to Branford T-1 if needed. Also pulling a 2 1/2 line to crews off of Engine 4.
14:35 - Command reporting main body for fire knocked down. Operations requesting to shut down master streams so they can inspect inside and begin overhaul with fresh crews.
14:37 - Compromised roof as reported, UI secured power to building.
14:42 - Checking on a firefighter at scene, dispatch asking command if second ambulance needed. Command reporting no patient transports at this time. Standby ambulance on scene and 5-Charlie-50 (AMR supervisor) checking out FF.
14:47 - Command telling Ops a fresh crew standing by. Ops reporting master stream ineffective on collapsed portion due to it being compacted.
14:53 - Command to EHFD dispatch reporting incident under control. Branford Engine 1 and Truck 1 in process of picking up per BFD Car 6.
14:55 - Ops reporting to command overhaul in progress on second floor.
Reporter & Writer: IzzyEng4

Date: 7/7/2011
Time: Approx 14:05
Location: 26 Main Street
Frequency: 453.5625
Units Operating: EHFD E-1 (quint), E-3, E-4, E-5, R-1, R-3, Sq-2, Branford E-1, Truck 1
Stanby units: EHFD E-6 & Branford E-2 at HQ, N. Branford E-1 at Station 3 (Foxon)
Weather Conditions: Humid, partly cloudy
Description Of Incident:
14:05 - E. Haven FD dispatched to a report fire on roof of a commercial structure, reported to be an HVAC unit.
14:09 - Car 1 now command reporting 2/12 wood commercial, heavily involved roof area. Car 1 requesting cover company in town.
14:10 - Command requesting Engine 3 to lay in another feeder.
14:12 - Branford dispatch to cover EHFD Hq. (Engine 4 to cover), North Branford Engine to cover Station 3 (Foxon)
14:13 - Branford Engine 1 & Truck 1 to staging at scene. Interior crews calling for line to be charge. Truss construction, partial collapse on Second floor, pulling out. Calling for deck gun of engine after pull out. Command ordering everyone out of the structure.
14:17 -Master stream being trained on the HVAC unit, not through the vent hole. BFD Truck 1 all the way to the back next to EHFD Engine 1. BFD Engine 1 looking for another water source.
14:22 - Engine 5 to take a hydrant and lay in per command. Command cancelling order, Engine 5 to back in and reverse lay to the hydrant.
14:24 - Branford to open up roof on south side, command giving okay but to have BFD crew to remain on ladder.
Branford Engine 1 is to reverse lay to a water source from scene. Command reporting interior crews to move to middle section of building, performing end-gable cut, hose crew be prepare to prevent it from extending past them.
14:25 (approx) - Branford Engine 2 now being dispatched for cover in East Haven.
14:27 - North Branford Engine 1 going to another alarm, brush fire (unknown location)
14:30 - Collapse to the rear portion of the building, front of building still not involved with fire as of yet. Progress being made, personnel to remain out of rear portion of building.
14:33 - Engine 5 pumping to Engine 4. Command asking if Engine 4 can supply feeder to Branford T-1 if needed. Also pulling a 2 1/2 line to crews off of Engine 4.
14:35 - Command reporting main body for fire knocked down. Operations requesting to shut down master streams so they can inspect inside and begin overhaul with fresh crews.
14:37 - Compromised roof as reported, UI secured power to building.
14:42 - Checking on a firefighter at scene, dispatch asking command if second ambulance needed. Command reporting no patient transports at this time. Standby ambulance on scene and 5-Charlie-50 (AMR supervisor) checking out FF.
14:47 - Command telling Ops a fresh crew standing by. Ops reporting master stream ineffective on collapsed portion due to it being compacted.
14:53 - Command to EHFD dispatch reporting incident under control. Branford Engine 1 and Truck 1 in process of picking up per BFD Car 6.
14:55 - Ops reporting to command overhaul in progress on second floor.
Reporter & Writer: IzzyEng4

A person needs to have the mind set of is that (and I'll emphasis it in caps) EVERY PUMP OPERATOR SHOULD KNOW HOW TO DRAFT OTHERWISE YOU ARE NOT A PUMP OPERATOR! Sometimes "It's John Wayne Time" (20 points for where the quote came from).
The first thing you really should be asking is why should any pump operator draft from a water source? Its a pretty self explanatory answer when you think of it and also has bunch of different variables. You have to take the blinders off here to look for the answer. We are too often blinded by the function of a pump by hooking up to a hydrant. For FDNY and pretty much any fire department along a body of water, you have to have the versatility to be able to function and supply water to a scene especially if a specialty piece is not in service or available. Say you got a good fire going and a marine unit is not there yet (or has not been dispatched depending on where the fire is located), your pumpers can get in close to the water sources and start pumping back to the fire scene.
Obviously when you think of a rural town, you think of porta-ponds, water holes, rivers and cisterns. No supplied water source there (aka hydrants every 500 to 1000 feet). Well what happens if that a hydrant-ed water supply is suddenly damage or their is a great loss a pressure? Well drafting is the way to go to get the water flowing if you have a source to draft and pump from. What is Manhattan surrounded by? Two rivers on either side that meet at the foot of the island, you have water everywhere. It a quick set up if you practice a lot, and takes about the same amount of time as hooking up a five inch and two gates to a hydrant.
Another item you find in cities and especially old mill towns around factories are under ground canals. For the you're guys that do not understand what I'm talking about, many of the early grist mills and early 1800 era factories were powered by water. Canals and "race tails" that were tapped off from a river and a "mill pond" brought water to the powerhouse of a factory then in return the water either was dumped back into a river or other waterway. (No electricity back then fellas when the men where men and..... well we'll leave it as that). Many of the canals especially factories along the rivers still have active canals thus if there is no hydrants (or yard hydrants) that can be used, a MPO can drop a length of suction (or two) down the manhole cover conveniently marked "CANAL" (or if a real old-timer is around can show you which one it is) and now you have an endless supply of water. A few fires up my way the departments have done this numerous times so we have an adequate supply with out taxing the main water system connected to the hydrants.
Hydrants are also governed by the pressure supplied to them. The water company's supply pumps, the way the water grid is set up, size of the feed and branch pipes and valves opened or closed to direct the flow and pressure are all factors we have to live with when we hook up to a hydrant. If we over tax a hydrant's output of water (pressure and volume) well you can cause some serious damage (seeing a hydrant come ripping out of the ground along with the water main it is connected to is an eye opening experience. Seen it twice in my career, never had it happen to me.) When you draft, you are now the "hydrant" per-say controlling the water flow back to the scene and your pump on the engine (depending on its capacity and set up) can control the flow without taxing the hydrant system. Another advantage is if there are already multiple engines on hydrants, having a draft setup brings in more water to a scene without disrupting the hydranted water supply.
That is just a few of the view points of why city departments draft. Have to be ready for everything.

"John Wayne Time"
Circa 1991
"It's jumping floors on ya Lieutenant!"
"Yeah...howsabout them second in companies?"
"Ha! Mayor shut them down, John Wayne time, you're on your own!"

http://www.washingtonvolfire.com/Home_Page.html
http://www.washingtonct.org/firedept.html
Washington, CT operates a firehouse in the Washington Depot and New Preston sections of the town. The run a 75's quint, two engines, a rescue, a brush truck, a tanker and an engine-tanker.

abaduck - Mike Ross, he doesn't hide is name, is, for the record, a registered Republican, more libertarian than anything else. Certainly not a liberal. He didn't respond earlier because he's spent the day at the FTC doing rescue tech, and joined in the good-natured banter involving one of the other students, an LEO.
He's so anti-police that he was in the in the middle of joining the police, as a volunteer cop in the UK, before that was cut short by our moving to the USA. He's given serious thought to joining the volunteer PSEF here in Westchester, but has back-burnered that due to too many other commitments.
Yes, sometimes I debate - I have questions and opinions about police actions on occasions. About the only time I think I could be said to have been out of line was the recent thread on the Philly open carry guy, and enough LEOs here told me how and why I was wrong I manned up, said OK I was wrong, and apologised.
All I wanted to do was update people on what was happening; a lot of people discussed this case, and a story on the latest developments caught my eye. I often end up reading something and someplace down the line it's 'I wonder what happened about X? How did that play out?'
That's all there was to it. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, and JJB531, I respectfully think you're out of line here.
Mike

Photo taken September 14, 1957