______The REGISTER Street and travel 0.3 miles and the firehouse is located on left side at E. Chestnut Street. Street. Chestnut E. at side left parkinga have muston lot themeeting. vehicletheirour Membersparkparkinginwishingfor for to lot located is Dekalb firehouse onto the right and Important Turn Notice: President Joemiles miles. Landy has gotten permission1/2 0.3 from2 CVS Pharmacy to usefor their parking travel St.) and Main E. Street into turns (which Pike Ridge E. onto Norristown, merge #18 exit to I-476 Take Directions: PA 19401. Norristown, Street, Dekalb 621 at located Company, Hose Norris at place take will Society Fire Historical Union the of meeting regular next The welcome to bring along a guest, and newcomers are welcome. meeting,followed thebybimonthly regular meeting. Afterourmeeting, there willlunch.be Members are phone: please directions, additional need you If NEXT MEETING OF THE UNION HISTORICAL FIRE SOCIETY SOCIETY MEETING HISTORICALNEXT UNION THE FIRE OF WILL BEWILL AT: HELD Norris Hose Company, Norris HoseCompany ______Newsletter of The Union Historical Fire Society Fire Historical Union The of Newsletter DelawareS.P.A.A.M.F.A.A. Valley Chapterof For GPSuse: Sunday, January 12th,2014,10:00a.m.
621 DekalbStreet,Norristown,PA 19401 www.unionhistoricalfresociety.com JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 Issue 151 610-999-6732 . Please. join usfor refreshments prior tothe
Norristown, PA
Fire Department Traditions
Fire Department Traditions
When we hear the word tradition, it brings to mind many things. Arguably, every one of us is touched by at least one tradition. Many are family oriented, such as how we celebrate a Holiday, the annual family reunion cookout, or how we are taught to treat others – these are all examples of traditions. In the fre service, we have many traditions as well. From the frst moment a new cadet (rookie or “probie”) is taken into the department “family”, they are introduced to fre service traditions.
Te Maltese Cross
Many individuals, including fre personnel, are not aware of the complete signifcance of the eight points on the Maltese Cross. Here they are:
From the days of the frst crusade, the cross has been the symbol of the Christian warrior who pledged not only to fght in defense of the Holy Land, but also to protect the lives of his compatriots. Te Maltese Cross now worn by modern frefghters is actually an adaptation of a particular crusader insignia, the cross of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem. Te Knights, one of the oldest orders of warrior monks that fought for Christendom, took vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Also known as Hospitallers, the monks maintained a hospital for pilgrims in Jerusalem. When that city became the centre of the crusade-embatled lands, the brothers militarized their order, but continued to protect pilgrims and extend their charity to the sick and poor. Because of the extensive armor that covered their bodies and faces, the Knights were unable to distinguish friend from foe in batle, so the need for an identifable emblem for the Knights became crucial. Since they fought their batles for a holy cause, they chose the Cross of Calvary, a white or silver cross on a dark background. Afer the fall of Jerusalem in 1187, the Knights of St. John moved to the island of Malta. During the crusades, many Knights became frefghters out of necessity. Teir enemies had resorted to throwing bombs and sailing war vessels containing naphtha. Hundreds of Knights were burned alive. Others risked their lives to save their brothers in arms from dying painful fery deaths. Tus these men became our frst frefghters and the frst of a long list of courageous frefghters. Teir heroic eforts were recognized by fellow Crusaders who awarded each hero a Badge of Honor; a cross simi- lar to the one frefghters wear today. Te Maltese Cross is your symbol of protection. It means that the frefghter who wears this cross is willing to lay down his/ her life for you, just as Crusaders sacrifced their lives for their fellow man so many years ago. Te Maltese Cross is a Firefghter’s badge of honor, signifying that he/she works in courage... a ladder-rung away from death.
4 Fire Department Traditions
Volunteerism Te man who established the frst volunteer fre department also invented bifocals, wrote and printed Poor Richard’s Almanac, studied electricity, and helped draf the Declaration of Independence. His name was Benjamin Franklin. Te frst volunteer fre department began in Philadelphia in 1736. Franklin ofen wrote about the dangers of fre and the need for organized fre protection. He was dissatisfed with Boston’s Mutual Fire Societies (also known as “Fire Clubs”) because the “Fire Clubs” existed solely for the protection of its members, not the community at large. Franklin wanted organizations that would batle all fres, regardless of whose property was burning. Afer an extensive fre in Philadelphia in 1736, Franklin established the frst all-volunteer fre brigade which was known as Te Union Fire Company and was comprised of 30 volunteers. As the idea of volunteer fre brigades gained popularity, additional companies were formed in Philadelphia. Each of the companies paid for their own equipment. Tese fre companies were located throughout town at strategic places. Other famous Americans who served as volunteer frefghters include: George Washington, T omas Jeferson, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Paul Revere, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, John Barry, Aaron Burr, Benedict Arnold, James Buchanan and Millard Fillmore. Volunteer frefghters played and continue to play an invaluable role in protecting lives and property.
Outdated Traditions Tere are some things from the past that many old-timers recall fondly but for one reason or another (many due to safety) have been discontinued. Tese include: r Rubber pull-up boots r No air packs r 15 minute air packs (there was nothing like knowing you had about 8-10 minutes inside) r Breathing of the nozzle r Beacon rays r Bells (these are starting to reappear) r Plectrons r House sirens r Navy nozzles r Foam powder r Protein foam (made from ground up animal mater) r Riding the roof of the cab r Riding the hose bed r Riding the tailboard and the sides of the rig r Brass frehouse poles
article to be continue 5 300th Anniversary Volunteer Firemen by John Zaranek 300th Anniversary Volunteer Fireman
Tis stamp was issued on October 4, 1948 in Dover, Maryland, to commemorate the 300th Anniversary of Volunteer Fire- men in the United States. Te history of the volunteer freman began in New York City in 1648. It was during the Administra- tion of Governor Peter Stuyvesant that the frst “fre ordinance” was adopted by the Dutch Setlement of New Amsterdam. Tis ordinance established a fre watch of eight wardens; their frst duty was to inspect chimneys. Fines levied for dirty chimneys provided funds for the maintenance of buckets, hooks, and ladders. Afer the frst wardens were appointed, an organization known as the “Prowlers” was formed; they were ofen referred to as the “ratle watch”, because of the wooden ratle they carried to sound the alarm in the event of a fre during their watch. Tey patrolled the streets from 9:00 p.m. until dawn with buckets, hooks, and ladders. When the colonists were organized in 1658, bucket brigades were formed and equipped with 250 leather buckets. In 1664, the colony became a British setlement and was renamed New York. Faced with the problem of a fast growing colony, the General Assembly, in December of 1737, passed an Act which estab- lished the “Volunteer Fire Department of the City of New York’. Able, discreet, and sober men were appointed as fremen to be ready for service by day or night and be diligent, industrious, and vigilant. Te Volunteer Fire Department continued to protect the lives and property of the citizens of the City until afer the close of the Civil War. In 1865, the Volunteer Fire De- partment was superseded by the paid Metropolitan Fire Department.
Depicted on the lef is Engine No.3, “Old Brass Backs,” an end-stroke, goose-neck, tub fre engine. It was the frst successful fre engine built in New York by Tomas Lote, and delivered to the New York City Fire Department in 1743. Lote was a cooper and a boat builder by trade. Te fre engine was a simple design made of wood, including the wheels and fair amount of brass. Te front wheels were fxed, unable to steer around a corner, the fremen had to stop and lif it and head it in the proper direction before continuing. Te other depicted apparatus is a 1948 Mack (Type 85), a 750 gallon pumper. Te stamp designer copied it from the July,1948 issue of “Firemen” magazine, which showed a picture of a Mack that had been delivered to the Riverdale, Maryland Volunteer Fire Department. Te original pumper was painted white, black, and gold. Te stamp designer changed the color to the traditional red. He also eliminated the distinctive “Bulldog” fgure that is placed on the hood of all Mack vehicles.
March Meeting of Accepting Advertising The Union Historical Fire Society is accepting advertising Union Historical Fire Society for the bimonthly newsletter. The ad will be circulated to our membeship, which numbers at over 300 in numerou will be held at states and Canada.The ad will also be added to our website Dewey Fire Company edition, which averages 400 hits per week. The advertising rates are as follows: Business card ad size 3 1/2" x 2", $25 Hellertown, PA per issue, $125 annually, Quarter page ad size 3 5/8" x 4 3/4", $60 per issue. If you are interested in placing an ad, SUNDAY, March 9th please contact the editor: or by phone at: 610-999-6732. at 10:00 A.M. 6 Apparatus Corner
“Fire Service in Philately” Founded in 1976 , we are an international organization devoted to the study and collecting of fre stamps, pictorial fre cancels and post cards of fire engines, fre personnel, fre prevention and fres. Quarterly Newsletter (Fire Stamp News) Yearly Dues $15.00 New Issue Service Informative Articles For more information and a sample copy of Fire Stamp News Contact: John Zaranek, 81 Hillpine Rd. Cheektowaga, NY 14227 [email protected]
Liberty Fire Company New Holland, PA by Terry Ritz An order was placed April 23, 1918 for an American LaFrance Type 40 Combination Chemical and Hose truck with a 300-gallon junior pump and 1000 feet of standard hose. This unit was delivered in December 1918 at a cost of $8,000.00. Today, the vehicle has been restored to the original speciation. Note the large electric spotlight on the front.
“Tightest In Te City” Mark your by Ken Snyder calendar Tat’s the slogan you’ll fnd on Philadelphia FD Engine 37’s patch and wall ornament. Teir historic Chestnut Hill frehouse was built in 1894 and is the oldest one in the city. Union Historical Since the last horses ran out of this station in 1916, the building’s general facade has remained the same. As fre Fire Society apparatus cabs have become larger, side clearance at 37’s has become a problem. When their previous Seagrave SPRING MELT 2014 engine was assigned here, they had fve inches of clearance Saturday April 13 on each side. With the current KME engine, clearance has been reduced to 2.5 inches on each side. Hence the well Sunday April 14 earned title, “Tightest In Te City” is aptly earned for the frefghters of Engine 37.
7 Union Historical Fire Society Delaware Valley Chapter of S.P.A.A.M.F.A.A. P. O. Box #596 Havertown, PA 19083-0596 “The REGISTER” Newsletter
Dated Material
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