6 | the 1980S the 1980S by Jonathan Carter
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6 | The 1980s The 1980s by Jonathan Carter For much of America, the 80’s signaled an era of a pumper and ladder truck into one unit. All of “out with the old and in with the new.” The pumpers were outfitted with four-inch hose later Houston Fire Department was no exception. that year, as well, providing firefighters with a From the top down, the department saw changes larger supply line to replace the traditional two throughout the decade that helped bring about and a half inch lines that had been used for years. the dawn of a new age. The department moved to a new headquarters The decade got off to a refreshing start for on Dart Street during the decade, and the vacated firefighters in 1980 as City Council agreed to third floor of Station 1 that had previously housed shorten the Department’s work-week from 50 Headquarters was converted to office space for hours to 46.7 hours. The change in “Platoon” Fire Prevention and EMS staff. For many new days helped accomplish this. Also that year, work hires, getting the call to report to the “3rd floor” began on Fire House 7’s old quarters on Milam was seen as a good sign that a job offer was Street that would see the building transformed imminent. into the Houston Fire Museum. The facility In 1986, dispatchers began using the 9-1-1 had been proclaimed a museum by Council in system to dispatch calls. This provided the public 1977, but it took another three years for work to with an easy number to remember and dial in commence. times of emergency. Amongst firefighters the The following year saw seven rescue/salvage debate still continues as to whether or not this was trucks and eight “tele-squirt” pumpers placed in a good idea. Firefighters’ ideas of emergencies service. The rescue/salvage trucks replaced the vary greatly with what most folks’ thoughts are old utility truck that responded out of Station on the subject. Nonetheless, the easy to remember 1, and the “tele-squirts” combined the abilities number and the consolidation of emergency call Fire Chiefs: Line of Duty Deaths: V. E. Rogers 1978 - 1984 Thomas Norwood Cooper Raymond Harrison 1984 Lonnie Louzette Franklin Robert Swartout 1984 - 1985 Robert Munguia Reyes Robert Clayton 1985 - 1992 Left: Tank truck accident, 610 South Loop at Lawndale. March 29, 1982. See page 12 for more details. (Photo by Jo L. Keener. Photo shot from a KHOU Channel 11 News Helicopter.) The 1980s | 7 takers has enhanced the delivery of Fire and Emergency Medical Service ever since. Also that year, Houston Deputy Chiefs were moved out of Station 1 and into “Quadrant Houses,” where they would each assume responsibility for management of one-fourth of the Department’s resources. District Chiefs were also affected during the decade as their aides were removed from their units and they began to drive themselves around town. The Department received its largest apparatus acquisition to date in 1986, as well. A total of 22 engines, 16 ladders, and 30 ambulances were delivered and assigned to various stations. A year later, firefighters were welcomed to the computer age when Mobile Apparatus Status Terminals (MAST) were installed in all apparatus. With the touch of a button the MAST allowed a unit’s status to be electronically transmitted to dispatch. This cut down the amount of radio traffic and allowed for an easier transfer of information over the airwaves. Right: House fire 2000 Commonwealth, 1980. Officers from Fire House 7 “B” Shift, left to right, Captain Royce Beck Engine 7, District Chief Lonnie 7 Franklin. (Photo by the HFD Photo Division) Opposite Page: Seven alarm fire, Woodway Square Apartments, July 31, 1979. (Photo by the HFD Photo Division) 8 | The 1980s The 1980s | 9 10 | The 1980s In 1963, 55 acres of land was purchased with plans to build a 1,086 unit apartment complex called The Woodway Square Apartments. The sixth and final phase was finished in 1971. The complex was located at 1501 Winrock Boulevard at San Felipe Street. The roofs of the apartment building were built using wood shingles which caused many problems leading up to the fire. Prior to 1979 the complex suffered five major fires, either two alarms or three alarms from March 17, 1971 to February 8, 1976. On July 31, 1979 at 2:48pm a call came into the HFD Dispatch Center for a fire in an apartment complex. Two minutes later the dispatch was sent out, four minutes later District Chief 110 (now called District 28) “B” Shift arrived on the scene and reported a three-story apartment heavily involved, four minutes later the chief asked for a second alarm. The seventh alarm was asked for at 4:50pm. Sixty pieces of HFD equipment and 400 firefighters were used to control this fire.The fire was declared under control at 6:39pm. The fire spread 1,000 feet in the first twenty minutes of the fire. Buildings in the complex several hundred feet away were catching fire due to flying embers. Several houses and one apartment complex, blocks away, were damaged due to the flying embers. Twenty-five area fire departments responded to the incident, some were called and some came on their own. Some of those engine companies went to the surrounding fire houses to respond to emergencies in other areas of the city. The incident commander encountered many problems; Low water pressure, 90+ degree temperatures, low humidity, and 15 mph winds with up to 40 mph winds created by the fire storm. The radio communications repeater that was on top of One Shell Plaza in downtown Houston failed and it was some time before it was back in service. During this time the only communications was between the incident commander and the responding fire companies using hand held radios. Manpower was an immediate problem, most of the trucks dispatched to the scene were manned by only three firefighters. The complex contained 1,400,000 square feet of living space. When the first chief arrived it was estimated that 10,000 square feet of building was on fire. The area destroyed by the fire was estimated to be 400,000 square feet. The estimated damage was $20,000,000 and that did not include the residents belongings. (All photos by the HFD Photo Division) The 1980s | 11 The Reed Hood came into being after firefighters received many burns to their head, ears and neck areas. Fire crews usually enter a burning building looking for trapped people and to get to the seat of the fire, when the nozzle was opened the steam found every piece of uncovered skin. Captain Reed loved being a firefighter, but the burns were very painful. A hood made of nomex material was available at the time for firefighters. Captain Reed tried one, but the hood allowed steam to penetrate causing him to be burned. One afternoon while walking in a flea market Captain Reed saw a welders cap, and thought it could be made to work, with a few improvements, for firefighters. He took the welders cap to his mom to have her put together a model. After some trial and error the “Reed Hood” was born. Over the next three years a working model that provided the proper protection was produced. Many firefighters ordered the hood after seeing Captain Reed and his crew wearing the hood at fires. Captain Reed’s mom put together about 400 hoods before an upgrade in material was needed. A fire clothing manufacturer was found and the production was turned over to them. The Reed Hood was hard to put on and very cumbersome, yet when put on properly the firefighter had complete head protection. The hood provided valuable seconds to escape when things went bad. Captain Reed received a lot of input from firefighters saying how it kept them from being burned. The Reed Hood brought about changes in gear, gloves, air pack straps as well as fire tactics.Written by Captain Clifford Reed Top Right: In the background, Captain Clifford Reed, in the center, Steve Lutton Firefighter, foreground, Ernie Duran Firefighter. One of the final tests completed to make sure the right protection was available. Captain Reed took a couple of steps forward, felt the heat, backed out. After the hose line was charged the fire was eixtinuished.(Photo by John Crotchett, 1983) Bottom: The Reed Hood, from left to right, the first manufactured hoods, Captain Reed’s mother’s version. (Photo by Clifford Reed) 12 | The 1980s Top Left and Top Right: Four alarm fire in the Polyscience Ware- house, 300 South 67th Street, July 1980. From left to right, Captain Sam Schillaci, Captain Jim Hudgens, Assistant Chief Dennis Holder, Davis Graham Public Information Officer. (Photo by Jo L. Keener) Bottom: Muscular Dystrophy Association Telethon, Labor Day September 7, 1981. Houston Fire Training Academy Class 81C. Bottom row left to right, Donnie Boggs, Doug McCormick, Javier Rodriguez, John Lucas, John Wanamaker. Top row left to right, Jeff Boles, John Caveness, Firefighter’s Union President Les- ter Tyra, Keith Bobbitt, Fire Chief V. E. Rogers, John Allison, Kazimierz Maziarz, Don Martin, Daniel Hernandez, Regal Anson, Kenneth Grayson. This group volunteered to help answer phones during the Telethon. (Photo provided by Jeff Boles) The 1980s | 13 14 | The 1980s On Sunday February 2, 1983, a call reported an ammoinia leak at the Bordens Ice Cream plant on the corner of Milam and Calhoun (now St Joseph Parkway). The two-story brick building with a basement occupied the whole downtown city block.