First to Arrive: Firefighters at Ground Zero (Spirit of America, a Nation Responds to the Events of 11 September 2001)

CALL TO RESCUE, CALL TO HEAL Emergency Medical Professionals at Ground Zero

FIRST TO ARRIVE Firefighters at Ground Zero

GUARDIANS OF SAFETY Law Enforcement at Ground Zero

HELPING HANDS A City and a Nation Lend Their Support at Ground Zero

KEEPING THE PEACE The U.S. Military Responds to Terror

WE THE PEOPLE The U.S. Government’s United Response Against Terror

Firefighters at Ground Zero

Alison Turnbull Kelley

PHILADELPHIA

CHELSEA HOUSE PUBLISHERS EDITOR IN CHIEF Sally Cheney DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION Kim Shinners CREATIVE MANAGER Takeshi Takahashi MANUFACTURING MANAGER Diann Grasse

STAFF FOR FIRST TO ARRIVE ASSOCIATE EDITOR Benjamin Xavier Kim PICTURE RESEARCHER Sarah Bloom PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Jaimie Winkler COVER AND SERIES DESIGNER Keith Trego LAYOUT 21st Century Publishing and Communications, Inc. ©2003 by Chelsea House Publishers, a subsidiary of Haights Cross Communications. All rights reserved. Printed and bound in the United States of America.

http://www.chelseahouse.com First Printing 1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Kelley, Alison. First to arrive : firefighters at ground zero / Alison Turnbull Kelley. v. cm.—(United we stand) Includes index. Contents: 1. Tragedy hits home—2. Early days of firefighting— 3. Firefighting into the 19th century and the great Chicago fire— 4. Becoming a firefighter—5. Smokejumpers, other special firefighters, and canine helpers—6. Today's fire trucks, gear, and clothing— 7. Heroes emerge. ISBN 0-7910-6957-5 1. Fire fighters—Juvenile literature. 2. Fire extinction—Juvenile literature. 3. Fires—Juvenile literature. 4. September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001—Juvenile literature. [1. Fire fighters. 2. Fire extinction. 3. Fires. 4. September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001.] I. Title. II. Series. TH9148 .K45 2002 363.37—dc21 2002007867

FOREW0RD by Benjamin Xavier Kim

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TRAGEDY HITS HOME

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EARLY DAYS OF FIREFIGHTING

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FIREFIGHTING INTO THE 20TH CENTURY AND MAJOR FIRES IN AMERICA

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BECOMING A FIREFIGHTER

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SMOKEJUMPERS, OTHER SPECIAL FIREFIGHTERS, AND CANINE HELPERS

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TODAY’S FIRE TRUCKS, GEAR, AND CLOTHING HEROES EMERGE

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FURTHER READING

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WEBSITES ORGANIZATI0NS AND AGENCIES BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX

Foreword T

he events of September 11, 2001 will be remembered as one of the most devastating attacks on American soil ever. The terrorist attacks caused not only physical destruction but also shattered America’s sense of safety and security, and highlighted the fact that there were many groups in the world that did not embrace the United States and its far-reaching influence. While things have, for the most part, returned to normal, there is still no escaping the demarcation of life before and after September 11—the newest day that will forever live in infamy. Yet, even in the aftermath of the terror and destruction, one can see some positive effects that have arisen from the attacks. Americans’ interest in foreign countries—especially those where Islam is the predominant religion—and U.S. foreign policy has been at an all-time high. The previously mundane occupations of firefighter, police officer and emergency medical worker have taken on a newfound level of respect due to the heroism and selflessness displayed on September 11. The issue of airport security has finally been taken seriously with

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the implementation of National Guardsmen in airports and undercover air marshals aboard flights. The books in this series describe how various groups and agencies dealt with the unfolding events of September 11. They also tell the history of these agencies and how they have dealt with other crises in the past, as well as how they are operating in the wake of September 11. While the rest of us were reeling in shock and horror at what was unfolding before our eyes, there were others whose jobs required that they confront the situation head-on. These are their stories. Benjamin Xavier Kim Series Editor

The World Trade Center attacks on September 11 were some of the most devastating attacks on American soil, killing approximately 3,000 people. Of these people, 345 firefighters perished while trying to save others in the buildings—the highest loss of all emergency personnel who had responded to the scene.

1 Tragedy e m o H s t Hi

ack Fletcher and his twin brother Andre had wanted to be firefighters since they were little boys. Zack joined Engine 4 Ladder Company 15 in lower Manhattan. Andre went through special training and joined Rescue 5 Fire Rescue in Staten Island near New York City. The brothers were the first African-American twins to join the New York Fire Department. On the morning of September 11, Zack was off duty and driving around Brooklyn doing errands when he saw smoke coming from the city. He called his brother Andre, who at that moment was speeding toward the fire. “Be safe,” Zack said. Andre told him not to worry. Meanwhile Zack rushed to his own firehouse about a mile from the World Trade Center (WTC). The trucks had left, so Zack grabbed his gear, threw on his turnout coat, and began to walk toward the burn scene. As he approached the burning towers, the second tower

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First to Arrive collapsed. “It was like a freight train. It was so loud,” Zack recalls. A huge cloud of smoke and debris rolled quickly toward him, so he dove into the vestibule of a building for shelter. Over and over, he tried to reach Andre on his two-way radio—only to get no response. Zack worked for hours with other firefighters at the site, looking for survivors and putting out small fires. Finally, after trying Andre’s phone again, a message appeared: “User Not Available.” Besides his brother, Zack lost 14 men from his own fire company and his best friend, Michael Weinberg, whose body was found on September 12, 2001. Zack’s story is only one of thousands of other stories of loss and grief that emerged from the terrorist attack on that clear September morning. On September 11, 2001, the twin towers of the World Trade Center in the financial district of lower Manhattan were the targets of terrorist hatred and destruction, and the weapons of destruction were American aircrafts. At 8:45 A.M., American Airlines Flight 11 departing from Boston was skyjacked by terrorists and forced to crash into the upper floors of the 110-story north tower of the WTC. A little more than 15 minutes later another plane from Boston, United Airlines Flight 175, was forced to crash into the upper floors of the south tower of the WTC. All passengers were killed, and thousands of workers were killed instantly and thrown from the buildings or trapped by fire and explosions. Minutes later, the north tower fell, imploding into the ground and killing virtually everyone still in the building, including many firefighters and other rescue workers. A few minutes later the south tower imploded and collapsed, further multiplying the senseless loss of life. After the collapses, everything on the street near the towers was covered with gray-white ash. But there was more to come. At 9:43 A.M. in Washington, D.C., American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon, causing more injuries and deaths. At 10:10 A.M., American Airlines Flight 93 crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, the result of a thwarted terrorist attempt to reach Camp David. Unfortunately, there were no

Tragedy Hits Home

After the towers of the World Trade Center collapsed, everything in the vicinity was showered with debris. The fire engines pictured here were among the many vehicles that suffered tremendous damage from the collapse.

survivors to tell the story of how United Airlines Flight 93 went down. Osama bin Laden’s radical terrorist network al-Qaeda were believed to be responsible for the atrocity. The attacks were part of a jihad (holy war) to rid the world of any perceived enemies of Islam. But September 11, 2001 wasn’t the only time that the WTC was the target of terrorists. On February 26, 1993, a terrorist set off a 1500-pound bomb, killing six people, injuring thousands, and causing considerable damage. In this tragedy, people ran out of the building covered with black, in contrast to the gray-white, ash that covered the September 11 survivors. As on September 11, firefighters and other rescue workers rushed to the scene to help. Four radical Muslims were arrested and convicted in 1994. The final grim death toll showed that more than 3,000 civilians were lost in the attacks. First to arrive at the scene in New York City, 345 firefighters were killed during rescue efforts. Firefighters across the country felt acute loss as the entire nation mourned both the heroes and the innocent victims.

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Settlers in Jamestown, Virginia had to deal not only with the hardships of making a life in a new and strange land but also with a large fire that caused extensive damage to the settlement. This would be only the first of many fires that would plague new settlers in America.

2 s y a D y l r Ea g n i t h g i f of Fire

n 1608, a devastating fire swept through almost every building in the Jamestown settlement. “Most of our apparel, lodging and private provisions were destroyed,” wrote Captain John Smith in his journal. They had to rebuild. The Jamestown settlers weren’t the only ones who had to rebuild from fires. Soon, settlers in other parts of New England, New York, Pennsylvania, and Delaware also had to rebuild, and rebuild. The reason was simply the damage caused by uncontrolled fires. In 1623 in Plymouth, Massachusetts, a menacing and destructive fire swept through the pilgrims’ settlement, then just three years old. The cause of this fire, according to Governor William Bradford, was “roistering” (drinking and reveling) seamen, who had made a large fire in the fireplace that broke through the

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First to Arrive wooden chimney, caught onto the thatched roof, and spread to other houses and to the supply store. In 1630 in Boston, Massachusetts, a raging fire apparently destroyed the same kind of thatched-roof houses. The Bostonians made a law forbidding anyone to build a wooden chimney. This was the first fire regulation. Early American settlers quickly learned that fire can destroy an entire town, threatening lives and belongings. Unfortunately, they did not quickly learn how to fight fires efficiently nor how to prevent fires from starting in the first place. This took time, with gradual changes in people’s habits, firefighting abilities, and fire equipment. It would be many, many years before the United States reached the highly developed level of firefighting used to fight fires today. In the old days, one might hear the shout “Throw out your buckets!” instead of the sound of fire engine sirens. Residents would throw their leather buckets outside their houses. Neighbors and willing volunteers would pick up the buckets, fill them at the nearest well or water supply, go to the fire, and heave the water into it. This kind of firefighting activity began in New Amsterdam (later renamed New York) in the late 1600s and was called the “bucket brigade”—but unfortunately proved to be an ineffective way of fighting fires. In 1647, Governor Peter Stuyvesant of New Amsterdam saw the need for “order” in firefighting as well as for safe fire prevention practices in the home. He appointed a committee of four citizens who went from house to house to inspect chimneys to make sure they were kept clean. Households with dirty chimneys—a sure fire hazard— were fined. This became the first Fire Prevention Act. Householders were actually fined 25 florins (gold coins) if a fire broke out in their home. The fines collected were used to buy hooks, ladders, and fire buckets. In 1658, an

Early Days of Firefighting

Governor Peter Stuyvesant of New Amsterdam was one of the first leaders to recognize the need for fire safety and an organized system of firefighting. He formed a committee who would check homes in a kind of inspection to ensure that there were no fire hazards present.

ordinance required each household to place a water-filled 3-gallon leather bucket on their doorstep each night. Thus began a “fire-readiness” campaign with a primitive form of the fire extinguisher.

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First to Arrive Meanwhile, Prowlers patrolled the settlements on foot from 9 P.M. until daybreak. The Prowlers were prominent citizens who volunteered to keep watch for fires. When they discovered a fire, they sounded the fire rattles to wake up the citizens. They organized neighbors into bucket brigades—one person filling the bucket with water and passing it to the next person and then to the next person passing it until the bucket reached the fire. Then, another line of people passed the empty buckets back to be filled. It was good teamwork, but it didn’t work, and the fires kept burning. By 1731, New York brought in two hand pumpers from London. One of these large, heavy devices required about 24 men just to pull it to the fire. Engine Company 1 and Engine Company 2 were organized around these pumps. In 1737, the General Assembly established the volunteer Fire Department of the City of New York. Boston was less prepared for fires than New York and suffered devastating losses. In 1653, a fire destroyed several supply warehouses and about one third of the city’s personal dwellings. New ordinances included a high ladder for every house, “a long pole with a large swob [a wad of absorbent material] at the end,” and “a bell man for to goe about towne in the night” to watch for fires and call on the bucket brigade. These were good ordinances, but did not yet save Boston from widespread destructive fires. Another huge fire burned in defiance of the bucket brigade. For the next 200 years, Boston suffered major fires over and over again. In 1679 in Boston, the first engine company was born. The “engine,” imported from London, was not a sophisticated piece of equipment. It was actually a pump, 3 feet by 18 inches, with handles through which a small hose was fitted. A brigade of citizens was still needed to get a tub filled with water to supply the hose. And Boston had the additional

Early Days of Firefighting problem of “firebugs,” people who were setting fires for fun. Today this crime is known as arson. The new engine company of Boston was put to the test only 4 months after the engine pump was installed. A band of incendiaries (another name for firebugs) set fire to an alehouse that happened to be near some warehouses. The fire raged and the fire engine company was again unable to contain it. Fire-hazardous materials in the 1700s were in everyday use: pitch (dark sticky substance used to build houses), paint, gunpowder, wood shavings, turpentine, and coal oil. Before electricity, homes were heated with chimney fires, and candles and oil lamps provided light—all capable of setting things alight. Boston’s wood and thatch houses had all the ingredients for a bonfire. So, Boston proclaimed a building act, stating that every dwelling built from then on must be made of stone or brick. Moreover, citizens expanded their fire watch and ousted several people they believed were arsonists. These were good moves, but still not viable solutions to fighting and preventing fires. In 1711, Boston suffered another major fire. Six-yearold Benjamin Franklin, who later moved to Philadelphia, witnessed it. The aftermath resulted in the General Court’s creation of an act that called for the appointment of fire wards, “prudent persons of known fidelity” with badges, staffs, and specific duties. The other outgrowth of Boston’s fire of 1711 was the establishment of Mutual Fire Societies. These were groups of about 20 people who pledged to help each other in the case of fire to any one of them. They also pledged to help the firefighters and to save belongings and protect them from looters. Each member had large salvage bags for collecting valuables. Mutual Fire Societies were social as well as service-oriented, and were the forerunners of volunteer firefighting groups.

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Benjamin Franklin was one of the first people to form a volunteer fire fighting company in America. He also formed the first fire insurance company called the Hand-in-Hand Company.

The first volunteer fire fighting company in America was the Boston Fire Society of 1717, even before Ben Franklin’s Union Fire Company. The 20 men who made up Boston’s Fire

Early Days of Firefighting Society each brought two buckets and two large salvage bags for saving the valuables of residents. Boston passed ten specific laws after a terrible fire in 1754, which included the following:

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Each house was to have a ladder or ladders long enough to reach the ridge pole. Every house to have a 12-foot-pole with a swab. [For chimney fires.] For arson the penalty was death. It was illegal to carry burning brands from one house to another except in a safe vessel. No fires were permitted in vessels at the wharf.

In 1682, William Penn arrived in Pennsylvania and began the Quaker settlement of Philadelphia. He remembered from his childhood that his father was caught in London’s devastating fire of 1666, and he did not want Philadelphia to suffer the same fate. He mapped out a city plan even before he left England, which allowed for trees and shrubs around houses so they would not be so close together. William Penn wrote: Let every house be placed so that there be ground on each side, for Gardens or Orchards of fields [sic] that it may be a greene Country Towne, which will never be burnt, and always be wholesome.

This plan saved Philadelphia from a major fire for its first 50 years. But, in 1730, Philadelphia had a massive fire. Ignoring Penn’s fire cautionary measures, people had begun to build houses closer together. Meanwhile, Benjamin Franklin had moved to Philadelphia from Boston, where he witnessed devastating fires as a youth. He observed and wrote about firefighting and fire

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First to Arrive prevention in his newspaper, the Pennsylvania Gazette. To encourage people to prevent fires by not carrying hot coals on shovels through different rooms of their houses, Ben Franklin urged, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Years later, a large fire in Philadelphia transformed Franklin’s interest into action. He called for volunteers to form a fire brigade—the Union Fire Company. Franklin is credited, though incorrectly, with being the first volunteer fire chief in America—of the Union Fire Company in 1736. Actually, both Boston, Massachusetts, and Newport, Rhode Island, had fire companies before Philadelphia did. In a letter in the Pennsylvania Gazette on February 4, 1734/35, Franklin wrote: . . . for our Imitation, the Example of a City [Boston] in a neighboring Province. There is as I am well informed, a Club or Society of active Men belonging to each Fire Engine, whose Business is to attend all Fires with it whenever they happen. . . .

The Union Fire Company of Philadelphia was modeled after the rules of the Boston company. The idea of a volunteer fire company caught on and actually attracted more volunteers than could be used (30 was the limit). So Franklin suggested that the citizens form other volunteer fire companies. The Fellowship Fire Company (1738), the Hand-in-Hand (1742), and the Hibernia Fire Company (1752) were founded. By this time firefighters even wore uniforms. The volunteers provided their own engines, ladders, and other equipment and stored them at a central place in the community. When a fire alarm sounded, each volunteer came with a salvage bag and a bucket. The fire ward would direct them to form a bucket brigade, to pump the engine, or to do other fire-related tasks. During the Revolutionary War in 1775, firefighters, as protectors of their communities, were exempt from serving in the military. Still, many members of the Hibernia Company of

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An artist’s depiction of firemen in action in the 1700s. In addition to the fireman, the citizens also took part in the “bucket brigade” in order to assist the firefighting efforts. At this point in time, firefighting as we know it was still in its infancy.

Philadelphia fought against the British in the Revolutionary War and even helped out financially. Some Hibernians formed the Fire Cavalry Troop of Philadelphia. These men received great praise from George Washington, who said: “. . . most sincere thanks for the many essential services they have rendered to their country and to himself personally during the course of that severe campaign.” It is unfortunate that firefighters turned out to be specifically needed. This is because fire was used as a weapon in battle. With so many fires in the 1700s, many people lost almost all their

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A plaque in Philadelphia that commemorates the founding of the Philadelphia Contributionship for the Insurance of Houses from Loss by Fire in 1752.

belongings and had no house to live in, and relatives were not always able to help. So Franklin thought of a way to help these people to recoup their losses. He created the first insurance company—the Hand-in-Hand Company. The idea was for a family to enroll in a fire insurance company by paying a yearly

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fee. Then, a metal plaque was hung on the outside of their house. If the insured house had a fire, the fire company would come to put out the fire. If they couldn’t put the fire out, the insurance company paid the family money to rebuild their dwelling. A house with no fire plaque or identifying mark might just burn down. Other insurance companies started up soon after Franklin’s Hand-in-Hand Company. In fact, by the 1800s, rivalries developed. Insurance companies rewarded the fire brigade who put out the fire. Sometimes even then, other fire brigades would race to put out a fire and claim payment. The fire brigades started to fight over who would put out the fire, and homes would burn till the fighting was over. In 1801, the first fire hydrants were created in Philadelphia. This invention made water always available to firefighers, meaning there was no more need to carry buckets to the fire. Unfortunately, rivalries still endured, and fire companies hired big strong men to guard the hydrants so that other fire companies couldn’t use them. These guards were called plug uglies.

FIRE HOSE Fire hoses have progressed from short sewn hoses in early colonial days to leather by 1808 to rubber in the 1820s to all-fabric hoses to today’s triple-lined vulcanized rubber hoses, reinforced with jackets of cotton and synthetic or 100% synthetic material that can withstand 600 pounds of water pressure. By 1817, two Philadelphia firemen improved the leather hose and patented the new one. Firefighters in Boston in the 1820s however didn’t believe in using the hose at first, and even considered its use less than brave. They chose instead to move their hand pumper closer to the fire and use the coater cannon, as their belief was “the nearer the fire, the higher the post of honor.”

A postcard of an American fireman from 1858. By this time, the uniform of the firefighter was starting to resemble the gear that we are familiar with today. Note the fireman pulling the hand-pumper behind him.

3 o t n i g n i t Firefigh y r u t n e C h t 0 2 e th s e r i F r o j a M d n a a c i r e m A in y the mid-1800s, volunteer fire companies became close-knit both in work and in their social life. Their many get-togethers grew into elaborate and festive affairs. Still, rivalries persisted. New York City, for example, had 60 fire companies. Each company held their own annual ball. These parties were great fundraisers for buying uniforms and equipment, and the whole community was invited. Many fire songs, composed by the firefighters themselves, were played at these balls. The songs mainly told of the misdeeds and cowardice of rival companies and the greatness of their own brigade. At least this was better than having violent fistfights and allowing victims’ homes to burn in the meantime. The fire companies’ love of entertaining soon extended to neighboring companies for a weekend gathering of parties, games,

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First to Arrive and food. The lavishly designed invitation itself was reminiscent of Victorian formality. However, the get-togethers were full of fun and not so formal as the invitation seemed to promise. The guest fire company would clean their uniforms, shine their buttons, and scrub and wax their best fire engine. A brass band and a cheering crowd gave the brigade a noisy send-off. When the guests arrived, they stayed in the best hotels in town—all paid for by the host fire company. Then they were treated to parades, toasts, dinners, parties, and games. All weekend both companies exchanged gifts. Last but not least, the hosts staged a contest. This would often be a test of which company could pump the highest stream of water through a hose. When the weekend festivities were over, the visiting firefighters went off in a parade and were serenaded by a brass band. Finally, the visiting company sent their hosts a beautiful and elaborate thank you card, drawn by an artist and bearing friendly sentiments. Firefighters acquired a high status in their community. Politicians and individuals made hefty contributions to fire retirement funds and helped to finance the building and furnishing of new firehouses, which had become hubs of evening entertaining. In return, politicians hoped for firemen’s support. Young men were attracted by all the attention and longed to join a fire brigade. When a new member was accepted into a fire company, he often received a beautiful and elaborate certificate of acceptance. Meanwhile in the 1800s, women began to take part in fighting fires. The first woman on record to fight fires was a black slave named Molly Williams in 1818. Although historical references to women firefighting are infrequent, many fought alongside the men, starting with the bucket brigades and continuing into the 21st century. By the early 1900s, there were fire companies made up entirely of women. In 1853, the first paid fire department was established in Cincinnati, Ohio. The firefighters were paid by the day, not by

Firefighting into the 20th Century

Volunteer firewomen from Silver Springs, Maryland, pose on their fire truck. From the 1800s on, women became more and more involved with firefighting. In the 1900s, there were entire companies were made up of women.

the fire, thus putting an end to fighting among fire companies. Little by little across the country, volunteer fire companies gave way to paid professionals, especially in cities. But volunteers have never disappeared altogether. In New York City, for example, the volunteer fire department continued until the end of the Civil War. Around 1866, the Metropolitan Fire Department—a paid New York fire company—eliminated volunteers. The volunteers greatly resented this, and it spilled over into the community. Political fights and even fistfights broke out. But, according to the Act of 1865, volunteer firefighters who wanted to be hired to work for the paid fire department were given preference over all others, which quieted things down. The fatal blow to the volunteer companies of New York and elsewhere was the introduction in the mid-1800s of the steam engine. Horses, not men, pulled the engine, and the steam

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Firefighting equipment and paraphernalia from 1860 on display in an exhibition that marked the 127th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire. Although firefighting had gone well beyond the days of the bucket brigades, logistical and organizational snafus prevented firefighters from reaching the blaze in time with enough resources to put it out.

device didn’t require manual pumping. Basically, fewer firefighters were needed. The early days of the paid firefighter were not easy. In New York, for example, firefighters worked continuously with 3 hours off each day for meals and one full day off per month. Higher-ranking firefighters were paid higher salaries. Fire departments became more organized, and fire losses decreased. Unfortunately, major fires still happened. Chicago’s dry summer of 1871 extended into a drought in the fall. It was a hospitable environment for a spark to grow into a blaze and then into a raging fire. On October 8 at 9 P.M., a fire started in a barn behind the home of Patrick and Catherine O’Leary. The true cause of the fire is not known,

Firefighting into the 20th Century but legend has it that Mrs. O’Leary’s cow kicked over a lantern in the barn and started the fire. A series of “mistakes and missed chances” delayed Chicago’s firefighters in getting to the fire. For one, the fire alarm operator at the Courthouse struck the wrong fire alarm box number, and the first fire engines out, pulled by clattering horses, went the wrong way. By the time the second alarm went out correctly, the fire was well along. Eventually, five steamer pumps, three hose carts, and a hook and ladder wagon arrived—which was still not nearly enough. Everyone had underestimated the force and breadth of the fire. High winds churned it up into a surging ocean of flame. An updraft swirled debris into the air. The fire was out of control in no time, and a torrent of people had to run for their lives, many pushing through the streets toward the city’s many bridges. Eight of these bridges ended up ruined; even some ships on Lake Michigan caught fire. The fire burned a quick path east and north and to the heart of Chicago’s business district, burning down humble houses and mansions, shops and industrial buildings. Exhausted firefighters, who had fought a large fire until late the night before, continued to fight doggedly for two days. Even Chief Fire Marshal Williams was seen hosing down an escape bridge. But fire was the master. Some firefighters gave up, exhausted. Most persisted. Finally after two days, a merciful rain fell, and the fire went out. The Great Chicago Fire decimated most of Chicago, and the city became a ghost of what it had been. Two to three hundred people were estimated to have died, 100,000 lost their homes, and property damage reached $200 million. But the spirit of the people of Chicago was strong. The Chicago Tribune editor at the time, Horace White, recalled, “I saw a great many kindly acts done as we moved along. The poor helped the rich, and the rich helped the poor.” Kerfoot Block symbolized the spirit of regeneration of the

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An artist’s depiction of a chaotic scene from the Great Chicago Fire. By the time it was all over, the losses were estimated at 200-300 people dead, 100,000 people homeless, and $200 million in property damaged.

people of Chicago after the fire. He moved his real estate business to a shanty the day after the fire went out, posting a primitive sign on the site of his burned-down business. Wm. D. Kerfoot Is at 59 Union Park Place All gone but WIFE CHILDREN and ENERGY.

The “Great Rebuilding” went on for three years, and a

Firefighting into the 20th Century renewed Chicago clamed its place as “the premier city of the West.” New York had a great fire tragedy in the early 1900s. On March 25, 1911, at 4:40 P.M., a fire broke out in the cutting room on the eighth floor of the Triangle Shirtwaist Company in the Asch Building in the Greenwich Village section of New York City. Most of the workers were young women only 13 to 23 years of age. The fire moved quickly and seemed “to push up from under the tables right to the top.” Much of the shirtwaist material was flimsy and went up in flames like paper. Flames stormed through the eighth floor jumping from sewing machine to sewing machine, then up the steps and through the windows of the ninth floor. The doors to the ninth floor stairway were locked, an illegal maneuver by the factory owners. There were no outside fire escapes, and the elevator stopped working. Some girls on the eighth floor fled to the stairway just ahead of the flames. Only a few escaped. Many girls, with hair and clothes aflame, jumped out of the windows to escape the fire out of sheer desperation. Firemen and bystanders attempted to break their fall with blankets and life nets, but the force of their bodies broke through. Some firefighters had bleeding hands or were injured by the force of the falling bodies or by the life nets, many of which caught fire. “The screams brought me running. I could see them falling! I could see them falling,” exclaimed Mrs. Goldman, a breathless bystander at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. What looked at first like bales of material to many onlookers were falling bodies. An account from fireman Frank Rubino on Company 18 pump engine also recalls the horror of the falling bodies. “We came tearing down Washington Square East and made the turn into Washington Place. The first thing I saw was a man’s body come crashing down through the sidewalk shed of the school building. We kept going. We turned into Greene Street and began to stretch in our hoses.

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First to Arrive The bodies were hitting all around us.” Bodies covered the sidewalk and soon buried the hoses so the firefighters “. . . had to lift them [the bodies] off before we could get to work.” Ladders reached only to the sixth floor. The Triangle fire was a sobering blow to firefighters because of its swiftness and because they were able to help only minimally. Unlike the Great Chicago Fire, this fire was over quickly—in 30 minutes. In all, 146 people died in the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire. The Asch building’s owners were charged with manslaughter because of unsafe working conditions. However, they were found innocent and collected insurance money. Nevertheless, the Triangle Company fire led to enforcement of fire codes, better working conditions, and even installation of sprinkler systems in workplaces. The steam engine became the most valuable piece of fire equipment. It enabled fire companies to use fewer firefighters and to pay them. After the changeover from volunteer to paid firefighters, only two volunteer fire brigades were still working in the City of New York. They continue to this day. Other communities had a mixture of paid and volunteer forces. Today’s New York City Fire Department comprises more than 11,400 firefighters, who protect more than 8 million residents in a radius of 320 square miles. The last steam engine was made in 1914. By the 1920s, motorized fire trucks entered the scene. Pumps, tanks, and long hoses were carried on the truck. Firefighters attached the hose to a fire hydrant, and at last they had an unlimited water supply. Through the years, firefighting techniques and equipment have evolved, as well as the gear that the firefighter wears. The road to efficient firefighting has been a bumpy one with many hard lessons learned and many lives lost, but no matter how far firefighting has advanced, there is still tremendous risk to the firefighters themselves. It takes a special kind of person to selflessly take on the job in order to save lives and property.

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The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire of 1911 was one of New York City’s most tragic fires. The loss of life was compounded by building code violations that prevented access to fire escape routes, resulting in many victims jumping out of the windows.

A firefighter chops at part of a burned home. Firefighters are constantly at risk when fighting fires, whether it is because of falling structures, smoke inhalation or other hazards. This means that they must not only be in top physical shape but must possess proper training to be ready for any situation.

4 g n i m o c Be r e t h g i f e r a Fi

irefighters do not just fight fires. They rescue people caught in fire emergencies. They investigate fires to see how they were caused. In some geographic areas such as Montana, Idaho, and the Southwest, firefighters fight forest fires. Firefighters are also right on the scene to help people in other disasters such as floods and earthquakes. They help people who have been wounded in acts of terrorism. In addition, they help to clean up spills of toxic and harmful materials. Another specialization of the firefighter is to educate the people of their community about how to prevent fires and about what to do if caught in a fire. Firefighters are “multitaskers.” They need to be calm in emergencies in order to make quick decisions, as well as possessing stamina. As one firefighter says of his occupation, “It’s a job where you can find a lot of satisfaction, because you can see the results

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First to Arrive of your work immediately. People . . . they’re always glad to see the firemen. I like helping people.” To become a firefighter, a man or woman must be at least 18 years of age, have a high school diploma, and pass written tests, as well as tests for coordination, strength, and stamina. Tests are given to screen for drugs. Firefighters must not use drugs. This is obvious because the work of firefighting requires thinking, moving, and acting quickly. In some fire departments, drugscreening tests are given from time to time to working firefighters as a precautionary measure. Firefighters must also keep fit. Students who aspire to become a member of a fire company should join sports teams or work out in a gym to get in shape for difficult fire activities. Training for new firefighters is rigorous, especially for specialized firefighting such as smokejumping. Firefighters have fears—fear of losing their way in dark smoke or in any dark situation, fear of being caught in a collapsed building, fear of getting pinned or tangled in wires. All these things may go through the mind of a firefighter while jumping into his or her gear and climbing aboard the pumper truck. But once the truck moves and the siren sounds out, the firefighter’s instinct is to go toward the fire and get to work. “If an accident happens, we [firefighters] have to respond to it, make sure everybody is all right, and do everything we can. If people are upset, you try to calm them down. The job makes you take charge of things.” Each firefighter learns how to handle different kinds of equipment and how to respond to an emergency. That way each member of the fire squad can handle a different task at any given time. The firefighter has much to learn in order to work efficiently—from handling hoses and working fire hydrants to positioning ladders to climbing ladders, and lots more. In a sense, firefighters go to school for a while. They learn how to take care of their tools, they do practice drills, and they write reports about their work. Many fire departments offer a kind of program called an

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apprenticeship. The apprentice firefighter learns about firefighting by working with an experienced firefighter. In New York City, for example, a rookie firefighter, called a probie, trains for 9 months. In some fire companies, this type of program combined with on-the-job training may last as long as 5 years. Firefighters can take college courses in fire engineering or fire science. In some cases, fire departments pay for interested people to take fire science courses in college. The University of Maryland, University of New Haven, and Oklahoma State UniverA firefighter drags a dead-weight sity offer courses in fire power dummy during an agility test. In addition engineering, fire protection to physical fitness tests, firefighters must engineering, and fire life familiarize themselves with firefighting safety, but not all schools equipment and other lifesaving techoffer fire science courses. niques. Some even go on to take college Some fire departments courses related to firefighting. offer higher pay for those who have had advanced training in fire science. Higher-ranking fire officials in the fire department usually have a college degree or even a postgraduate degree. Positions such as fire chief may require a master’s degree. Each fire company has different needs and resources, so pay, benefits, and education requirements vary from state to state and even within the same state. Some firefighters don’t go out and fight fires at all, but instead

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work as fire inspectors or as fire prevention educators. A fire inspector checks buildings to see that safety codes—rules made to ensure the safety of buildings from accidental fires in specific locations—are followed. Fire prevention is an important job of firefighters. Another important part of fire prevention is to educate the community. Firefighters visit schools and speak to children about fire prevention. They talk about smoke alarms and give demonstrations about what to do if you or your clothes catch fire. “Stop, drop, and roll” is the rule. Firefighters also speak at local community gatherings, educating the public about ways to prevent fires in their everyday life. Knowing how fires start is an important part of fire prevention. Some fire companies are made up of all volunteer squad members, and some companies have one or two paid firefighters, with the rest being volunteers. Whether a fire company is mostly or all volunteer or all paid depends on whether the individual fire company is a city, suburban, or rural fire department. It also depends on how much money the community has designated for firefighting. Fire Company 55 in Newtown Township, Pennsylvania, has eight paid firefighters and five volunteers. The volunteers take the 6 P.M. to 6 A.M. shift. Earnings of the paid full-time firefighter range greatly. In the United States, a firefighter who works more than 53 hours earns overtime pay. Working overtime isn’t normally a good idea

HELMET Fire helmets used to be made of leather. Now they are made of Kevlar and light-impact plastic. A hard outer shell protects the fireman’s face, and fireproof flaps protect the ears and neck. For full protection, a fireproof hood can be worn underneath the helmet.

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because of how rigorous the work is. Benefits such as paid sick leave and paid vacations range widely also. Other benefits of paid firefighters are health insurance and retirement benefits. Firefighters who become disabled may receive a pension in some communities. Fire companies usually provide the workers’protective Firefighters prepare a meal at a fire clothing. Generally, firefighters station. Firefighters usually make the chip in for food prepared meals for their fellow co-workers, and at the firehouse. Meals are firehouse cooking has become someprepared by the firefighters what legendary throughout the years, themselves, and many delispawning recipes and restaurants alike. cious recipes have originated from firehouse cooking. Firefighters can advance to become engineers. Engineers drive and look after the trucks. Lieutenants manage the firefighting teams and fight fires along with the rest of the firefighters. Larger fire departments have more possibilities for advanced positions, such as battalion chief (head of two or more companies), chief, assistant chief, and deputy chief. A young man or woman who wants to become a firefighter has many options for specialization. Education and prevention may appeal to some people; others may be drawn to wildfire fighting in wilderness areas. People who live near rivers or other large bodies of water may want to learn to fight fires on boats and rescue people from drowning. Still, most people are interested in joining the regular fire squad in their own neighborhood, either as a paid firefighter or as a volunteer.

A smokejumper parachutes during a training exercise. Smokejumping originated out of firefighters finding no other means of gaining access to fires in wildlands besides parachuting from planes.

5 r e h t O , s r e p m u j Smoke , s r e t h g i f e r i F l a i c Spe e n i n a C d an s r e p l e H n 1940, a huge fire raged through the Nez Perce National Forest in Idaho. Firefighters wanted to control the fire but needed to find some way to get near it. So, wildland firefighters took their grit and initiative and parachuted down from a plane near the blazing and spreading fire. Thus, the specialization of “smokejumping” was born. Many of the first smokejumpers were air stuntmen and veteran aviators (pilots). Fires in national forests and state-owned forests need specially trained firefighters to assist with fire suppression (containment or minimizing of an existing fire). Smokejumpers must be in top physical condition. They go through rigorous and precise training periods to get in shape for highly strenuous work. Their gear alone weighs close to 100 pounds.

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First to Arrive The aircraft that smokejumpers use today is called a jump ship. Today’s smokejumpers are well-equipped, trained professionals, who parachute to a jump spot (a designated landing area) near a fire. After smokejumpers land, air cargo planes drop tools and supplies. More crews arrive when needed. The goal of smokejumpers is to control wildfires before they spread and become massive fires that destroy much woodland forest and wildlife. There are about 400 smokejumpers in the United States. About 5% of these are women. This group of men and women come from all walks of life. Many smokejumpers work seasonally. College students may work during the summers. Those who want to become a smokejumper would need to contact the National Smokejumpers Association. Sometimes Forest Service districts hire firefighters directly, or sometimes they recruit fire personnel through state employment offices. It’s not usual for fires to be fought and rescues to be made from the air by means of special transports. A helicopter can get to places where there are no roads. Even where there is no place to land, firefighters can drop a rope from the helicopter, climb down, and search on land for lost or trapped hikers. Or, a rope with an attachment for carrying a person up or down can be lowered with a rescue firefighter on it. The firefighter carries or attaches the person, and the rope is raised up to the helicopter. Helicopters are also used to rescue people from the roof of a burning building. A helicopter may drop water onto a fire from a tank, or it may lower a tank. Or, a hose line can be dropped along a hillside near a fire, where it can be hooked up to a water source. Then, men and firefighting equipment are lowered. Airplanes are also used to fly over a fire and drop water on it. Another firefighting tactic is to release fire retardants from a plane on or surrounding a fire. A retardant is a

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A female smokejumper stands near firefighting equipment. A smokejumper’s gear may weigh up to 100 pounds, so a smokejumper must be in top shape in order to carry equipment easily, as well as to handle the rigors of parachuting.

reddish-orange chemical used to slow the progress of a spreading wildfire. An air tanker, a large aircraft, is often used to drop chemical retardants. Being in water is no guarantee against fire breaking out. A very damaging fire or explosion can happen on a boat or ship. In the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, for instance, the massive fire even spread from the shore to ships at port in Lake Michigan.

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Various different vehicles and types of firefighting activities are used for fires in water:

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Firefighters use a fireboat to move alongside of a boat or ship that is on fire, then either board it if it is safe or try to put out the fire from the fireboat.

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Wetbikes are speedy bikes that a rescue worker can easily twist in and out of coves and narrow, winding waterways. They are handy for rescuing people who have fallen or jumped into the water. Wetbikes are also called PWCs (personal water crafts).

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A hovercraft is a land-and-water vehicle. It can start out onshore and go right into the water. With no time wasted, the hovercraft reaches its target quickly.

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Airboats can traverse water that is frozen or partly frozen. This can be a real advantage in rescuing a person who has fallen through ice. Airboats have no brakes, so stopping is a matter of cutting the engine.

Today’s specializations include water safety and rescue in communities with recreational lakes or larger bodies of water. Besides water vehicles, helicopters can also be helpful in a water rescue. High-energy dalmatians have been associated with fire companies from the early days of firefighting. People today think of them as a kind of fire company mascot. However, back when horses pulled fire pumpers to the fire, dalmatians really did serve a purpose. They ran ahead of the engines to sound their own kind of alarm. With their easyto-notice spotted black and white coat, these dogs alerted people to get out of the way. Sometimes overanxious dalmatians would take off down the street before the fire pumper truck even got started. Some companies still keep

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Canine helper Capt. Morgan with his handler John Frank of the Southside Fire Department from Savannah, Georgia. Capt. Morgan is trained to search for cadavers and rescue drowning victims. He also assisted in rescue and recovery efforts at Ground Zero.

dalmatians, but mainly to guard the engine while the firefighters busy themselves putting out a fire or to protect the fire station when no one is there. Today other dogs are trained to do more important jobs.

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First to Arrive Some dogs are trained to find human survivors in fire or rubble. Dogs were an important part of the rescue teams during the 1995 bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Aspen, a golden retriever, worked as part of a rescue team in Oklahoma City with her human fire rescue squad partner. After a fire is put out, a fire officer writes a report. If a fire looks as if it has been purposely set, it is investigated by the fire marshal’s office. Arson investigators study all about how fires are set, about accelerants (chemicals that are combustible) and cigarettes, and about how to spot arson. Another member of the arson investigative team is a dog. Some accelerant-sniffing dogs are trained to recognize certain types of accelerants (chemicals that can ignite a fire). These dogs work as detectives right alongside their human partner. Best suited for this detective work are Labrador retrievers. Not many fire companies use accelerant-sniffing dogs to help them investigate fires, however. This kind of canine training only started in 1986 and is lengthy and time-consuming. These dogs are usually brought to a fire after it has been put out. Sometimes an accelerant-sniffing dog is brought to the scene of a fire still burning in hopes of discovering the person who set the fire. This is because arsonists often stand in the crowd and watch the fire burn. Lieutenant Art Czajkowski of the Philadelphia Fire Marshal’s Office works with Eden, a 2-year-old female black Lab. Eden lives in Lt. Czajkowski’s home. The dog is trained to recognize any hydrocarbon-based accelerants. Lt. Czajkowski takes Eden to work when he needs help in identifying the cause of a suspicious fire. When Eden smells an accelerant she recognizes, she communicates this to Lt. Czajkowski by sitting down in front of the spot. When Lt. Czajkowski wants her to zero in on the exact location of the accelerant, he first rewards her, then commands, “Better.” Eden then puts her nose down directly

Smokejumpers and Other Special Firefighters

Lieutenant Art Czajkowski and his dog Eden survey an arson scene. Eden is a dog trained to sniff out hydrocarbon-based accelerants. These dogs are used in suspicious fires to see if arson is responsible.

toward the accelerant. Eden may work with Lt. Czajkowski four days per week or only one day, depending on the fires. Like Gentry, a retired black Lab who also lives with Lt. Czajkowski, Eden will be forced to retire when she reaches 9 years of age.

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Edward “Tee” Tallman, a third-generation firefighter, poses next to the firefighting gear his own grandfather wore as a firefighter, displaying the advanced nature of modern firefighting gear. Indeed, firefighting in general has advanced tremendously within the last hundred years.

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one are the bucket brigades, the hand pumps, the steam pumpers pulled by two dozen men, and the pumper trucks pulled by a team of horses. Firefighting today involves high technology. During World War II, many new war science breakthroughs were introduced into combat, such as plastics and other synthetics, synthetic rubbers, mobile radios, and the underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA). By 1945, much of this new technology found its way into the world of firefighting. These advances made firefighting safer and more efficient, protected firefighters from injury, and required fewer men and women to do the job. Although not every fire company has the very latest equipment, there is certain equipment that every fire company must have.

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The pumper truck holds the mechanism and the hoses for pumping water into the fire. It has a set of gauges and controls by which a firefighter can monitor the water pressure. It is the main truck in each fire company. A snorkel truck has a long tube with a hose inside that can bend and reach over rooftops. A hose wagon is brought to very large fires that require an extra hose. An aerial truck is used for a fire in a tall building. Firefighters can climb the ladder that is attached to the truck in order to get to a fire and to help others to safety. The ladders of most aerial trucks do not extend more than 10 stories. A rescue truck, also called “The Big Tool Box,” comes to the scene of an accident in which a person is trapped. It is well equipped with rescue tools: heavy rope; rams (poles for holding things apart); cutters, which cut through metal, such as a car roof; air gun, which slices through metal; and the jaws of life. A tanker is used if a fire is very far from a fire hydrant or any other water source. It ferries water over and over to be put into a portable tank. A high-rise truck carries portable basic equipment that can be carried into high-rise buildings. A mobile command post carries communications and maps and generally acts as a mobile fire headquarters. The fire chief ’s car carries extra supplies and possibly a computer. A haz-mat truck (truck that cleans up hazardous materials) comes to the scene of a chemical or oil spill. This truck

JAWS OF LIFE The jaws of life weighs about 50 pounds and needs two firefighters to operate it. It pries apart crushed metal. It is so named because it can snatch an accident victim from the “jaws of death.”

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The “Jaws of Life” has become one of the most famous pieces of firefighting equipment in recent times, because of its ability to force apart metal and free victims trapped inside. Here two firefighters demonstrate the strength of the equipment.

carries booms (threads of cotton balls) and other equipment to absorb and mop up the spill. Inside the truck are inflatables for lifting an object that is pinning a person, an inflatable zumro tent that has an inner canopy with a floor plus a shower for washing off harmful chemicals or contaminants, and an air monitor for testing the safety of the air. A heat-seeking camera, known as a TIC (thermal imaging camera) may also be included. The TIC sees heat through thick smoke and can lead a fire rescue team right to a victim. Last but not least, the firehouse houses the local fire company. The firehouse started as a storehouse for equipment. Now it offers sleeping quarters and a kitchen for firefighters on 12-hour shifts.

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When a firefighter puts on and carries all his gear, it weighs about 68 pounds. The essential tools and gear of the firefighter are:

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Air cylinder.

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Self-contained breathing apparatus (often called SCBA). This needs to be worn when a firefighter is going to be in smoke or fumes of any kind

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Flashlight.

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Fire tool (today’s version of the hook). It chops and pries. Saws and axes may be used to provide ventilation by cutting holes in a roof to release flames and smoke.

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Monitor. A fixed-in-place fire hose capable of delivering water at high pressure, it can also be used from the top of the fire truck, where it is called a deck gun. The nozzle allows a firefighter to direct the water flow.

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Foam. A chemical blanket of foam extinguishes flames from chemical explosions, such as in gasoline fires.

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Drip torch. This tool set fires to keep wildfires in check, as in an open field or a wooded area.

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Alarm. PASS, a personal alert safety system, “senses” when a firefighter stops moving and makes a highpitched sound to let other firefighters know that something may be wrong.

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Walkie-talkie. A two-way radio keeps firefighters in touch inside and outside a building.

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Helmet and hood. Underneath the protective helmet is a fireproof hood.

Airpack and mask. This unit contains about 15 to 30 minutes of air.

Rope. Strong rope should be able to hold up to 9,000 pounds.

Today’s Fire Trucks, Gear, and Clothing

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Turnout coat. Layers of waterproof, heatproof, and acid-proof material make up this essential coat.

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Rubber boots, or at least steel-toe boots. Besides keeping feet dry, boots protect the firefighter from nails and fire. Fireprooflined gloves are also part of the gear.

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Bunker pants. These pants weigh about 4 pounds and require suspenders to hold up.

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Haz-mat suit. Chemical spill cleanup requires a haz-mat suit, which covers the body completely.

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Silvers. A special silver suit worn by airport firefighters to run into a burning airplane to rescue people can withstand 1,000-degree heat for a short time.

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An oxygen mask allows firefighters to enter smoke-filled areas more freely than firefighters of the past, which greatly heightens their ability to reach victims and move about inside structures.

Firefighting gear has come a long way indeed, allowing firefighters access and freedom in and around fires that the early firefighters could hardly have imagined. Unfortunately, sometimes not even all the high-technology gear in the world can prevent harm from reaching firefighters, as the September 11 attacks so cruelly demonstrated. But when all else fails, firefighters have only their inner resolve to allow them to so selflessly perform their duties.

A firefighter hands fragments of the World Trade Center to relatives of victims at a memorial service at Ground Zero. The firefighters of New York City have now become a symbol of selfless bravery and great loss throughout the world due to the many losses they experienced in the September 11 attacks.

7 e g r e m Heroes E

he tragedy of September 11 that killed thousands has saddened America and the world. It has given birth to many stories of courage, sacrifice, and patriotism. Firefighters, policemen, medical and emergency personnel, civilian volunteers, building workers, clergy, and many more risked their lives trying to save others. Heroes have even emerged from the passengers and crew who struggled for control of Flight 93. But members of the Fire Department of New York—the first to arrive at Ground Zero—have been specially honored for their bravery in helping to save lives. New York firemen are no longer tough guys in boots and big fireproof coats. They have become spokespersons, action figures, media stars, and models for calendars. During the first few

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First to Arrive months after September 11, people have visited New York City firehouses to express their appreciation for service and their condolences for lost firefighters. Ladder Company 5 Engine 24 in Greenwich Village, New York, lost eight firefighters. According to John Ottrando, Broadway singers stopped by his firehouse to sing carols at Christmas with the men. Other visitors from states across the country have brought gifts and have shown their support. Although it is business as usual at Ottrando’s firehouse, he always thinks of his fallen friends. He knows that his firehouse will never be the same. Firefighters all over the country empathize with New York firefighters. There is a special bond and empathy among firefighters everywhere. And when one falls, they all feel it. Rick Martin, Captain of Quiambaug Volunteer Fire Company, Stonington, Connecticut, expresses this feeling in verse, “My Brother has fallen; no I don’t know his name, Have not the same parents still family all the same. He lives in this town, I live in another. It doesn’t really matter cause this man is my Brother.” To honor and remember the efforts of firefighters, many items have been created and offered to the public. Popular mementos are decals and banners in memory of firefighters and other fallen heroes inscribed, “Fallen But Never Forgotten.” Other items are firefighter clocks, calendars, and FDNY (Fire Department of New York) tee shirts. The Bradford Exchange has produced firefighter heirloom keepsake ornaments—for Christmas and all year. Each ornament has a different name: courage, honor, and valor. One of these is shaped like a Maltese Cross, symbol of the first firemen in Europe and the fireman’s badge of honor. A book telling stories and containing images of the September 11 events, America’s Heroes, was published in 2001. Dennis Smith, a former firefighter and author of other books about firefighters, has written Report at Ground Zero.

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New York City firefighters here salute during a memorial service at Ground Zero. Firefighters all over the world expressed their sympathy and solidarity with their New York City brothers, as they know all too well the hazards that accompany their occupation.

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First to Arrive Other books have already been written and are being written. Sculpture, art, and photography memorializing the events abound. Says April Lefferts, full-time college art student and fourth-generation volunteer firefighter of Collingdale, Pennsylvania, “I saw the first and second towers fall. . . . I’m a firefighter. I know a little of what they were going through, and it broke my heart.” So Lefferts decided to do what she does best. She drew a scene of three firefighters with an American flag in the background. She presented it to Ladder Company 5 (Ottrando’s company) because they lost eight firefighters on September 11. Other efforts are underway to help firefighters, their families, and other victims of the September 11 attack. The September 11th Fund was established by the United Way of New York City and The New York Community Trust in order to meet the immediate and long-term needs of victims, families, and communities affected by the September 11th tragedy. The United Fire Association Scholarship Fund was created for children of firefighters. The Red Cross has culled volunteers, pledges, and money. It’s easy to appreciate the firefighter and his or her work. Young or old, this is a person who chooses to run toward danger when most people instinctively run away from it. John Doster, 82-year-old firefighter of the Edgely Fire Company in Pennsylvania, who still goes to fires, said, “When I joined the fire company [68 years ago] you did it for two reasons, to save lives and property. I still believe that and will do this until I die.” And Lefferts, who is 19 years old, states, “The only thing I worry about at a fire scene is getting inside and getting everyone out.” One 24-year veteran of Rescue 1 Firehouse, New York City, comments, “It’s the coolest job—you don’t do it for the money; you do it because you want to help people.”

FURTHER READING

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McLean, John N. Fire on the Mountain: The True Story of the South Canyon Fire. New York: William Morrow and Company, 1999. Taylor, Murry A. Jumping Fire: A Smokejumper’s Memoir of Fighting Wildfire. New York: Harcourt, 2000.

WEBSITES www.chicagohs.org/fire [The Great Chicago Fire] www.firehouse.com [Fighting, Rescue, EMS, Safety] www.weshallneverforget.org [Website created on September 14, 2001 as a memorial to all who perished on September 11, 2001] www.wildfirenews.com [Wildfire News] http://womenshistory.about.com/cs/triangle/index.htm?terms=triangle+ shirtwaist [Resources on the Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire]

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ORGANIZATIONS AND AGENCIES

Fire Department of the City of New York International Association of Arson Investigators 300 S. Broadway, Suite 100 St. Louis, MO 63102-2802 (314) 621-1966 http://www.fire-investigators.org International Association of Black Professional Firefighters 8700 Central Avenue Suite #306 Landover, MD 20785 (202) 296-0157 http://www.iabpff.org International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) 1750 New York Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20006 (202) 737-8484 http://www.iaff.org International Association of Fire Chiefs 4025 Fair Ridge Drive Fairfax, VA 22033-2868 (703) 273-0911 http://www.iafc.org National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM) 721 S. Kirkman Road Orlando, FL 32811 (800) 437-1016 http://www.firemarshalls.org

National Association of State Foresters 444 N. Capitol Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 624-5415 http://www.stateforesters.org National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) One Batterymarch Park Quincy, MA 02269-9101 (617) 770-3000 http://www.nfpa.org National Smokejumpers Association NSA Membership 10 Judy Lane Chico, CA 95926 http://www.smokejumpers.com National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) 1050 17th Street, NW Washington, DC 20036 Tel: 888-ASK-NVFC http://www.nvfc.org/state.html USDA Forest Service Fire and Aviation Management 3833 S. Development Ave Boise, ID 83705 (208) 387-5100 http://www.fs.fed.us/fire U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service Fire & Aviation Management P.O. Box 96090 Washington, DC 20090-6090 (703) 235-3220 http://www.fs.fed.us

ORGANIZATIONS AND AGENCIES U.S. Fire Administration Federal Emergency Management Agency Field Personnel Operations Division, Room 113 16825 South Seton Avenue Building E Emmitsburg, MD 21727 (800) 238-3358 (301) 447-1000 http://www.usfa.fema.gov U.S. Forest Service Firefighting Division Department of Agriculture Washington, DC 20240 http://www.fs.fed.us Women in the Fire Service (WFS) P.O. Box 5446 Madison WI 53705 (608) 233-4768 http://www.wfsi.org

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Davis, Hadley. “The Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire.” Paper. University of Pennsylvania,1987/1988. Dean, Richard S., and Dunn, Mary Maples. The Papers of William Penn, vol. 2. 1680–1681. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, 1982. Ernest, Earnest. The Volunteer Fire Company: Past and Present. New York: Stein and Day, 1979. Goldberg, Jan. Firefighter. Mankato, MN: Capstone Press, 1999. Goodman, Edward. Fire! New York: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, 2001. Gorrell, Gena K. Catching Fire. Plattsburgh, NY: Tundra Books, 1999. Maze, Stephanie. I Want to Be a Firefighter (Maze series). New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1999. Masoff, Joy. Fire! New York: Scholastic Books, 1998. Murphy, Jim. The Great Fire. New York: Scholastic, 1995. Smith, Dennis. Firefighters: Their Lives in Their Own Words. New York: Doubleday, 1988. Smith, Dennis. History of Firefighting in America: 300 Years of Courage. New York: Dial Press, 1978. Smith, Dennis. Report from Ground Zero. New York: Viking, 2002. Souter, Gerry, and Souter, Janet. The American Fire Station. Osceola, WI: MBI Publishing Company, 1998. “The day the world changed” (written by staff). Philadelphia Magazine. October 2001, pp. 76–79; 176–177.

INDEX Airplanes, 42-43 Apprenticeships, 37 Arson, 17, 46 Assistant chief, 39

63 Hibernia Fire Company, 20-21 Insurance companies, 21-23 Jamestown, and 1608 fire, 13

Battalion chief, 39 Boston, firefighting in, 16-19, 20 Boston Fire Society, 18-19, 20 Bucket brigade, 14, 16, 20, 26 Chicago, and 1871 fire, 28-31, 43 Cincinnati, paid department in, 26-27 Colonial era, fires in, 13-23 Deputy chief, 39 Dogs, 44-47 Engine companies, history of, 16-17 Engineers, 39 Fellowship Fire Company, 20 Fire Cavalry Troop, 21 Fire chief, 37, 39, 50 Firefighters, 35-39 and advanced positions, 37, 39 and clothing, 39 and earnings, 38-39 and fears, 36 and meals, 39 requirements for becoming, 36, 37 and specializations, 35, 36, 37-38, 39, 41-44 tasks of, 35, 37-38, 58 training for, 36-37 women as, 26, 42 Firefighting early days of, 13-23 equipment for, 49-53 and major fires in America, 28-32 into 20th century, 25-28 Firehouse, 51 Fire hydrants, 23, 32 Fire inspectors, 38 Fire prevention educators, 38, 39 Fire retardants, 42-43 Fire trucks, 16-17, 27-28, 32, 50-51 Fire wards, 17 Franklin, Benjamin, 17, 18, 19-20, 22-23 Great Chicago Fire, 43 Hand-in-Hand Company, 20, 22-23 Helicopters, 42, 44

Lieutenants, 39 Mutual Fire Societies, 17 Newport, volunteer companies in, 20 New York firefighting in, 14-16, 28, 32 number of firefighters in, 32 paid professionals in, 27, 32 and Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, 31-32 volunteer companies in, 16, 25-26, 27, 32 and World Trade Center attacks, 9-11, 55-56, 58 Nez Perce National Forest fire, 41 Oklahoma City bombing, 46 Paid professionals, 26-28, 32, 38-39 Penn, William, 19 Pennsylvania plane crash, 10-11 Pentagon attack, 10 Philadelphia, firefighting in, 19-23 Plug uglies, 23 Plymouth, and 1623 fire, 13-14 Probies, 37 Prowlers, 16 Red Cross, 58 Revolutionary War, 20-22 September 11 attacks, 9-11, 53, 55-56, 58 Smokejumpers, 36, 41-42 Steam engine, 27-28, 32 Stuyvesant, Peter, 14-15 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, 31-32 Union Fire Company, 18, 20 Volunteer fire companies, 25-26, 38, 39 history of, 16, 17-21, 25-28, 32 Washington, George, 21 Water, fires in, 43-44 Wildfire fighting, 39 Williams, Molly, 26 World Trade Center attacks, 9-11, 55-56, 58

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ALISON TURNBULL KELLEY holds a BA in Classical Languages from Chestnut Hill College. She is working toward her PhD in holistic nutrition. A freelance writer and editor of medical textbooks and articles for many years, she has also published articles and a play for young people. She lives in Newtown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.