History of Houston Fire Department - 1900

1900

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Station 14 at W. 12th and Yale
• Station 13 W. 18th and Nicholson

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

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

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

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

• Fire Station No. 17 went in at 319 Sampson and Preston,
• Fire Station 18 in a tent in the 4400 block of Walker (later moved into permanent quarters at 619 Telephone and Eddington)
• Fire Station 19 at 1804 Gregg and New Orleans.

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

• Fire Station 20 (Avenue F and 73rd)
• Fire Station No. 22 (7825 Harrisburg)

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

• Fire Station 24 at Palmer & Bell (Station 24 earlier opened in a tent on Polk Street)
• Fire Station 25 at Blodgett & Velasco.

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

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

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

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

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

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

• No. 29 at Barkley and Winkler
• No. 30 at 514 King and Helmers
• No. 31 at 522 Crosstimbers and Haygood
• No. 32 at 822 W. 34th and Brinkman
• No. 33 at 7100 Fannin north of the medical center.