Firefighting History
The death of the Charleston 9 brought significant organizational change
The overcrowded club lacked the required exits, firewalls and fire alarms in the 1977 tragedy
The May 31, 2013, motel structure collapse resulted in the five LODDs, four at the time of the incident, one years later
Little has been accomplished since the disaster, despite some state legislation and an executive order from President Barack Obama to improve chemical facility safety
This semi-pulled pumper system designed by a naval engineer redefined “big water”
Newspaper archive tells how blame for an engine malfunction during a fire kicked off brawl that left two firefighters hospitalized
Here’s a look at the state of firefighter brotherhood and how that will play into emerging industry trends
A new firehouse was built on the same spot where the Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse Co. fire took place
Opinions on what color is best won’t surprise you, but why they got that color might
Judge Joseph Williams III said he was fair and continues to be fair in the case of a fire that killed three firefighters
Gregory Brown Jr. was convicted of three counts of second degree murder for setting the Bricelyn Street fire that killed three Pittsburgh firefighters in 1995
Here’s a look at how scientific research took us from reacting to fire behavior in the 1800s to predicting and controlling it today
The roof and floors collapsed, trapping two firefighters who led six people to safety; they went back into the inferno to rescue one missing tenant
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The rig was purchased through funds raised by fallen firefighter Michael Kennedy’s mother; she said she needed a project to focus her energy on after her son died
The most profound loss on that fateful day in 2001 was the loss of family
The boy donated his great-grandfather’s pocket watch to the firefighting museum that was once his station; he died in the line of duty
Station four is one of the cities busiest and has three 24-foot fire poles
Many fire history buffs may recognize the Hayes Truck, but here’s a look at the man who brought the aerial rig to life
Political ambition and sketchy fire insurance companies pushed cities to convert volunteer departments to career
NFPA’s Jim Pauley: “The affordable home smoke alarm is one of the most important fire safety inventions of our time.”
In his 56 years as a volunteer firefighter a lot has happened; had his son and asst. chief not died, he’d have retired by now
Here’s a roundup of past and present news coverage paying tribute to the firefighters who lost their lives
There is nothing unique about the Pittsburgh fire; history proves that Americans ignored the risks until disaster struck
While rowdyism and thug-like behavior among urban volunteers is well documented, that traditional narrative is somewhat contrived
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 21, stood with his hands folded upon learning his fate, decided after 14 hours of deliberations over three days
Jamie and Teresa Kuchyt’s marriage of two firefighting families gives them an incredible combined 150 years of service with the fire company
State lawmakers gave preliminary approval for stricter storage requirements for the highly flammable ammonium nitrate
The two firefighters gave the woman words of encouragement and helped her finish the race
The investigation revealed actions that were irresponsible and careless, but not willful and reckless
Chief Glenn Gaines’ push for federally funded grants made the fire service safer and better; it is a mistake to take them for granted or forget how they came to be
Asst. Chief John Hansen: “Our firefighters are having to crawl over corpses in areas to get to people that are still alive.”
Sarah Wessmann is one of 46 people running on the Last Call Foundation team, which has already raised more than a quarter of a million dollars
