The Hall of Flame -- Part 3

We complete our tour of the Hall of Flame Museum of Firefighting with today's entry.

Shown above is the Phoenix Fire Department Alarm Room System that was used between 1956-1982. Visitors to the Museum could listen to actual present day communication between stations and the central office.

Several display cases show examples of a practice that dates to the Civil War when the Union Army introduced arm patches with the emblems of its corps and divisions.

Returning World War II veterans introduced this practice to their fire departments. Almost 4000 patches are on display.

I believe the patch above is from my childhood hometown of Plainfield, Illinois. The one below certainly is.

1930 Brush Truck

Mack/Holloway Ladder and Chemical Truck, 1922

The truck was in service at Baltimore Fire Department's Ladder Company 24 from 1923-1962. As late as 1960 fire departments used escape nets like the one on this truck.

1878 Silsby Steam Fire Engine

Seagrave City Service Ladder Truck, 1928

City Service trucks carried a variety of ladders and tools, With a complement of 4 to12 firemen, truck companies made rescues and salvaged whatever was possible while the engine company attacked the fire. In 1950, this was bought by Downers Grove, IL, a town near where I grew up.

Seagrave "Standard" Fire Engine, 1927

The Seagrave Fire Apparatus Company of Columbus, Ohio built this 750-gallon-per-minute pumper for the town of Downers Grove, IL.

American La France Type 40 Chemical Car, 1924

The Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad bought this "chemical car" as a quick response rig to attack grass fires along he train tracks near its San Bernardino, California yards. (Apparently there were very few grass fires, since this truck has less than 170 miles on its odometer.)

American La France Type 12 Fire Engine, 1924

This engine marks the beginning of the Hall of Flame. Museum Founder George F. Getz, Jr. received it as a Christmas present in 1955 from his wife, Olive. He began the National Historical Fire Foundation, which supports the Hall of Flame.

Called "No. 1" because it was the first object in the collection, the pumper was used by the fire department of Oshkosh, Wisconsin until the 1950s. It was restored in 1991 to its 1955 appearance.

Champion/Christie Water Tower, 1897-1915

This Tower was purchased by the Toledo (Ohio) Fire Department in 1897. Used only for large fires, water towers were designed to pump between 1,000 and 3,000 gpm.

American La France Type 400 Fire Engine, 1935

The town of Norfolk, Nebraska, used the engine from 1935 until the 1960s. Few departments could afford the pricey trucks, only about 170 Model 400s were built between 1933 and 1938.

Norfolk had its fire engine painted white. Denver had painted its trucks white and many town in Colorado and Nebraska followed suit.

One of the display cases had several speaking trumpets, which were used by fire chiefs to direct their companies at fires.

The helmets shown above are from American companies and are among the 100+ helmets from all over the world.

I thought the motto of the Hotchkiss Hose Company of Derby, Connecticut, represented the goal of many.