sign in sign up
<<
Home , Houston Fire Department, Houston Post, Westheimer Road

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 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 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 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, 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. Fire companies from Fire Houses 1, 7 and 8 responded. On arrival, the crews knew that they would have to go in the building to turn off a valve to control the leaking anhydrous ammonia vapor. Before they entered the side door the on-duty plant maintenance engineer informed the firefighters that he knew where the valve was and would be willing to go in with them. The firefighters put an air pack on the engineer and started through the door when he had second thoughts about his safety. The firefighters then backed out of the doorway and went around the corner to the other side of the building. Once they reasurred him he would be safe, they started back toward the side door. Before they reached the door they felt the ground shake and a fire ball shot out of the doorway in which they had just been standing. The force of the blast was so strong that it picked up a nearby manhole cover and propelled it into the windshield of a nearby parked car. Ironically, 25 years later Fire House 8 was built on the same block.

Bottom: News crew from KHOU TV Channel 11. From left to right, Ted Maynard, Cinny Kennard, Don Benskin, Kathleen Phelan, Margaret Moth. (All photos by Jo L. Keener)

The 1980s | 15 Top Left: On the afternoon of March 29, 1982, the HFD responded to a tank truck explosion. The location was Loop 610 South, eastbound at the Lawndale exit and under the Highway 225 exit ramp. The accident involved a Gulf Oil tank truck hauling gasoline, a gravel dump truck and a HPD motorcycle officer. The motorcycle officer perished in the fiery crash. The HFD now uses the video taken by the news stations in their Tank Truck Firefighting class. (Photo provided by Dole Ebel) Top Right: Officer Winston Rawlings was a HPD officer for only two years. On March 29, 1982 he conducted a traffic stop involving a gravel dump truck. The place where the driver pulled over was at a sharp curve in the freeway. The traffic had begun to back up and a Gulf Oil tank truck was attempting to stop as well. The driver of the truck lost control and the truck began to jackknife. The trailer hit the gravel truck and exploded. Officer Rawlings was able to push the driver of the gravel truck to safety; however he was caught in the fire ball created by the explosion. (Photo provided by Don Egdorf, HPD) Bottom: Propane tank truck leak on I-10 East. Left to right, Jack Cato KPRC Channel 2 Newsman, District Chief 41 “C” Shift Doyle Ebel, unknown newsman. (Photo provided by Doyle Ebel).

16 | The 1980s Top Left: House fire in Houston’s Fourth Ward on Ruthven Street, 1982. Engine 1 was first in and can be seen in front of the burning house. (Photo by Victor Pena) Top Right: Houston Fire Department Volunteer Firefighters (HVFD), 1983. From left to right, Jack Van Pelt Firefighter, Jo L. Keener Firefighter, Darren Brown Firefighter, Chris Von Wiesenthal Firefighter, George Flood Firefighter, Matt Hurr Firefighter. (Photo provided by Jo L. Keener) Bottom: The crew from Fire House 5, 2020 Hollister Road at Hammerly Boulevard. Built in 1977. Photo taken in 1982. Bottom row left to right, Dan Dillard Firefighter, Alton Fisher Firefighter, Darrell Dornak Firefighter. Top row, left to right, Kenny Cook Chauffeur, Phil Borski Firefighter, John Fryer Firefighter, R. T. Willis Chauffeur, Lonnie Bernhardt Firefighter, Captain Jerry Hunter. (Photo provided by Dan Dillard)

The 1980s | 17 Top Left: Scott Mellott Chauffeur, Fire House 28, 5116 Westheimer Road at Sage Road. Built in 1953. (Photo by Gene Mellott, August 15, 1982) Top Right: The original Houston Fire Department Jahnke brothers. Left to right, Eugene “Duke” Jahnke, HFD from 1955 to 1995, Claude Jahnke, HFD from 1953 to 1984, Marvin “Roe” Jahnke, HFD from 1947 to 1991, Val Jahnke, HFD from 1940 to 1977. All four held the rank of District Chief. “Duke” was appointed to Assistant Chief in 1993. This photo was taken about 1983. (Photo provided by the Houston Fire Department) Bottom: Muscular Dystrophy Association, Fill the Boot Day, August 1983. The “A” Shift crews of Engine 3, District 28, Engine 28 and Ladder 28. Bottom row left to right, Larry Ogrodowicz Firefighter, Malcolm Armstrong Firefighter, Bob Roberts Firefighter, Neill Austin Firefighter, Kenneth Scrutchins Firefighter, Mark Newman Firefighter. Top row, from left to right, Captain Richard Ford, James Wathan Firefighter, Kenneth Jordan Firefighter, Tommy Erickson Chauffeur, Captain Lester Williams, Sr. Captain Roger Campbell. Every year in August on a Saturday, the crews from all the fire houses in the city would spend the day on street corners collecting money for “Jerry’s Kids”. District 28 “A” Shift was always the top money collected throughout the city. (Photo by David Bond) 18 | The 1980s Top Left: Engine 3 “C” Shift, left to right, Lee Roy Christ Chauffeur, Harvey Visnaw Firefighter, Cary Carroll Firefighter, Captain Lenny Higgins. Photo taken in 1983. (Provided by Lenny Higgins) Top Right: The crew of Engine 2 “B” Shift, left to right, Dave Barrier Chauffeur, Doug Howze Chauffeur, Ray Ponce Firefighter, Craig Kannady Firefighter. Photo taken April 16, 1982. (Photo provided by Dave Barrier) Bottom: Fire House 28, 5116 Westheimer Road at Sage Road. Built in 1953. From left to right Keith Bobbitt Firefighter, Gilbert Bennett Firefighter. Photo taken in 1983. (Photo provided by Gilbert Bennett)

The 1980s | 19 Top Left: Fire Alarm Building, 333 Preston. Built in 1975. Robert “Rok” Kyle, Fire Alarm Dispatcher. (Photo by John Musacchia, 1985) Top Right: Houston Fire Training Academy, Class 1981B. Cadet Daniel Hernandez repelling. (Photo by Gary Bates) Bottom: Funeral procession for Thomas N. Cooper passing by Fire House 1, September 26,1982. Thomas Cooper had only been a Houston Firefighter for seven months when he died on September 23, 1982 while performing his duty as a Probationary Firefighter, assigned to Fire House 1 “C” Shift. (Photo provided by Travis Ezell) Opposite: House fire on Marshall Street at Garrott Street. Two crew members of Engine 16 “A” Shift, Martin Spears Firefighter and Captain Merrill Wood. (Photo by Jo L. Keener, February 11, 1983)

20 | The 1980s The 1980s | 21 Top Left: The crew of Fire House 20, Navigation Boulevard at 69th Street. Built in 1973. Bottom row, Terry Don Shell Chauffeur. Top row left to right, Guillermo Gomez Firefighter, Livingston Hampton Firefighter, Ernesto Moreno Firefighter, Captain David Garza, Mike Tijerina Firefighter. Photo taken in 1983. (Photo provided by Terry Shell) Top Right: Houston Fire Training Academy, Class 82C. Left to right, Chester Payne Probationary Firefighter, Dennis Fisher Probationary Firefighter. Class 82C graduated on March 31, 1983. (Photo provided by Dennis Fisher) Bottom: Ladder 76 “A” Shift, 1985. The crew responded to a report of smoke in the building at the McDonald’s Restaurant on Bellaire Boulevard. The restaurant had been held up and a dye pack exploded. From left to right, Steve Kramer Chauffeur, Warren Hooker Firefighter, Gary Budewig Firefighter, Sr. Captain Alan Gunderson. (Photo provided by Warren Hooker)

22 | The 1980s Cadet Class 1985A, Houston Fire Training Academy, was the first class to graduate in almost two years. The city was in the middle of budget cuts and a hiring freeze. The class started October 14, 1985 with 75 Cadets and graduated on February 27, 1986 with 72 Cadets. (All photos this page provided by Phillip Martin) Top Left: The “Wild Line” is an evolution that every cadet has to perform. A two and a half inch fire hose is taken out into a field at the academy and charged. The cadets are expected to crawl down the hose to tackle the end of the hose. Almost all firefighters will tell you how much “fun” it was for them. From left to right, Phillip Martin and Jesse Arnold. Top Right: Cadet Class 1985A taking a break, from left to right, Andy Moore, Charlie Martin, George McAteer. Bottom: Cadet Class 1985A group shot. Bottom row from left to right, Mark Reyna, E. G. Ponte, John Maniscalco, Theodore Rocha. Top row left to right, Mickey Owens, Michael Parks, Elias Santos, David Miller.

The 1980s | 23 Top Left: Captain Jack Crawford, Instructor at the Houston Fire Training Academy 8030 Braniff at Telephone Road, opened in November 1969. Captain Crawford was an instructor from 1974 to 1986. (Photo by Phillip Martin) Top Right: Sr. Captain Roger Campbell, on the corner of Westheimer Road at Hillcroft Avenue, August 1983. Muscular Dystrophy Association Fill the Boot Day. (Photo by David Bond) Bottom: Fire House 33, 7100 Fannin Street at South Braeswood Boulevard. Opened in 1950. Front row left to right, Stanford Riley Firefighter, Mark Cummings Firefighter, Mike Dries Firefighter, Terry Stone Chauffeur, Anthony Tamborello Chauffeur, Larry Vackar Chauffeur. Back row left to right, Captain Mark Taylor, Darrell Deckard Firefighter, District Chief Ernie Hooker, E. J. Bender Firefighter, Jeff Watson Firefighter, Dane Stewart Firefighter. (Photo by the HFD Photo Division, 1984)

24 | The 1980s Top Left: Engine 11 “B” Shift while on the way back to their fire house, a professional photographer who’s studio was in the neighborhood flagged them down. He wanted to take a photo of the crew and the truck. The photo was taken in 1986, in front of his photography studio on Westcott Street. From left to right, Steve Noack Firefighter, Scott Mellott Chauffeur, Daniel Sanstra Firefighter, Jerry Ledford Firefighter. (Photo provided by Scott Mellott) Top Right: The crew of Fire House 25, 3902 Scott Street at Rosewood Street. Built in 1978. Bottom row left to right, Randy Noviski Firefighter, “Domino”, Kevin Brolan Chauffeur. Top row left to right, Captain Jimmy Hunter, Illyas Abdul-Kareem Firefighter, Hartsell Johnson Firefighter, Lary Batiste Firefighter, Doug Davis Firefighter. Photo taken in 1986. (Photo provided by Kevin Brolan) Bottom: Fire House 3 “C” Shift, 1986. From left to right, Bob Schlieter Chauffeur, Captain Frank Mettlach, Captain Lenny Higgins, Troy Steinburg Firefighter, Lee Roy Christ Chauffeur, Nick Salem Firefighter, Clyde Gordon Firefighter. (Photo provided by Lenny Higgins)

The 1980s | 25 Top Left: House fire Live Oak Street and McGowen Street. Engine 7 Chauffeur Gordon Griffin. (Photo by Jo L. Keener, January 9, 1987) Top Right: District 5 apartment fire on Neuens Road and Gessner Drive. From left to right, Engine 5 Acting Captain Randy Noviskie, Royce Harper Firefighter. (Photo by Jo L. Keener, January 10, 1986) Bottom: House fire in Houston’s Fourth Ward in 1983. The crew of Fire House 2, 1500 West Dallas Street at Bailey Street. Built in 1965. Bottom row left to right, Chris Potier Firefighter, Jeff Torongo Firefighter, Kenneth Eisfeldt Firefighter, James Sacco Firefighter, Roland Chavez Firefighter. Top row left to right, Joe Lewandowski Firefighter, Captain Steve Jahnke, Sr. Captain J. D. Winters, Tommy Schultz Firefighter. This crew was moved in 1986 to the new Fire House 4, 6530 West Little York Road at Bingle Road. Fire House 2 was turned over to the HPD Swat Team. (Photo provided by the family of J. D. Winters)

26 | The 1980s Top Left: Three alarm apartment fire, South Voss Road at Burgoyne Street. Cary Carroll Firefighter, Engine 3 “C” Shift. (Photo by Jo L. Keener, March 17, 1986) Top Right: Three alarm apartment fire, South Voss Road at Burgoyne Street. Firefighter on the left, Nick Salem Engine 3 “C” Shift, Firefighter on the right, Al Goebel Engine 37 “C” Shift. (Photo by Jo L. Keener, March 17, 1986) Bottom: Ladder 9, a 1986, 108 Foot LTI Spartan ladder truck in front of a building probably located on Hogan Street. In May of 1999, the ladder truck from Fire House 9 was relocated to Fire House 56 East Little York Road. Prior to 1999, a ladder truck had been quartered at Fire House 9 since 1910. (Photo provided by Glen Mears)

The 1980s | 27 Top Left: Fire at Houston Scrap, March 28, 1987, Hempstead Road at Campbell Road. Shown here is Randy Noviskie, District 5 “C” Chauffeur giving instructions to the incoming fire companies. (Photo by Jo L. Keener) Top Right: Fire in a duplex, August 6, 1987, Hammerly Boulevard at Campbell Road, District 5 “B” Shift. Fire was started by a child playing with matches. (Photo by Jo L. Keener) Bottom: Fire House 14, 107 West 12th Street at Yale Street. Built in 1914. Ladder 14 is a 1970 Ward LaFrance with a Grove 85’ mid-mount steel aerial. Prior to this photo, this 17 year old ladder truck was in bad shape. The crew took advantage of the fact that their Sr. Captain was a paint and body man. The HFD Body Shop gave them the supplies and the crew of the “A” Shift restored the old truck back to it’s original condition. The crew of Fire House 14 “A” Shift, bottom row left to right, Sr. Captain Joe Spencer, Tommy Erickson Chauffeur, Rick Thomas Firefighter, John Clemens Firefighter, Charlie Whitcher Firefighter, James Mockler. Top row, left to right, District Chief Alex Smith, Don Larson Firefighter, Mike Curry Firefighter. (Photo by Jo L. Kenner, May 7, 1987)

28 | The 1980s Top Left: Two alarm fire in an abandoned motel, Waugh Drive at Feagan Street. On the right Tommy Erickson Chauffeur getting help with his gear from HPD Police Sargent Bob Tessier. (Photo by Jo L. Keener May 7, 1987) Top Right: This photo shows the front of the abandoned motel, with Engine 11 first to arrive. The firefighters identified in the photo, in uniforms, from left to right, Barry Weinman Firefighter, Richard Wilganoski Firefighter. (Photo by Jo L. Keener May 7, 1987) Bottom: Three alarm fire in the Lamar Tower Condominiums, 2929 at West Alabama Street, December 23, 1987. A Christmas tree in the lobby caught on fire. The crew of Engine 8 “C” Shift taking a break, from left to right, Victor Pena Acting Captain, John “Chili” Childers Firefighter, Mark Cole Acting Chauffeur, David Venegas Firefighter, Gilbert Castillo Firefighter, Foster Santos Firefighter. (Photo by Jo L. Keener)

The 1980s | 29 Christmas Day, 1987, “D” Shift group shot. Fire Alarm Building 333 Preston Street at Bagby Street. Christmas Day was very busy for the dispatchers. There was a short period where there were no emergency calls. The photographer was conveniently there and a quick decision was made to take what turned out to be a great photo. Sitting is Charlie Hall Sr. Dispatcher. From left to right, Ray Salas Firefighter, Leroy Felchak Dispatcher, Ira Gibbs Dispatcher, Jay Lemon Dispatcher, J.B. Williamson Dispatcher, Bobby Northcutt Dispatcher, Eugene Leonard Sr. Dispatcher, Charlie Wilson Dispatcher. (Photo by Jo L. Keener)

30 | The 1980s Sr. Dispatcher Charlie A. Hall served the citizens of Houston from 1950 until 1991. Charlie was born in 1931, grew up on Houston’s East End section and spent a lot of time as a young man at Fire House 18 on Telephone Road. That is most likely why he became a Houston Firefighter. Charlie became a dispatcher, a job that he truly loved, in the early 1960’s and was very comfortable at the mike, dispatching emergency calls. Charlie had a distinct clear voice and was known as “The Voice of the Houston Fire Department”. Charlie Hall passed away unexpectedly at age 81 on August 25, 2012. (Photo by Jo L. Keener)

The 1980s | 31 Top Left: Captain Larry Dolch Engine 16 “D” Shift. Fire at Brun Street at Fairview Street in Houston’s Montrose area. (Photo by Jo L. Keener, 1988) Top Middle: November 11, 1988 Fire House 38 “B” Shift. Wade Gilliam Firefighter. (Photo by Bill Love) Top Right: District 5 Chief “B” Shift Danny Hutchins. Chief Hutchins served the HFD from 1956 to 1988. Photo taken in 1988. (Photo by Bill Love) Bottom: Garage fire, San Jacinto Street at Rosalie. In front of the fire is Engine 1’s brand new 1988 Seagrave pumper. This shot has been used as the image on the front of credit cards issued by the Firefighters Credit Union. (Photo by Jo L. Keener, May 23, 1988)

32 | The 1980s Top Left: House fire on Cushing Street at Cleveland Street in Houston’s Fourth Ward. Firefighters refer to this type of house as a “shotgun house”. They are also referred to as “row houses”. They are very old and burn quickly and many times the fire would spread to other neighboring houses as seen here. The crew of Engine 8 “B” Shift led by Captain Sydney “Action” Jackson is attempting to prevent the fire from spreading to the other homes. In the foreground is District 8 Chief “Birdie” Thompson. (Photo by Jo L. Keener, November 21, 1988) Top Right: Firefighter Jay Jahnke, Engine 6 “B” Shift at a fire in the Fourth Ward. This photo was taken in 1988. (Photo by Jo L. Keener) Bottom: Building fire Mason Street at West Gray Street, Houston’s Montrose Area. Photographer Jo L. Keener, blue shirt, was shooting photos for the Firefighters Union Local 341 at the time. Jo had worked for the news media a long time and one of his fellow photographers from the Houston Post took this photo. (Photo by Joel Durant, April 4, 1988)

The 1980s | 33 34 | The 1980s Early morning of January 14, 1988 the crew of Fire House 6 “A” shift was awakened to a fire call at the rice mill just around the corner. When the apparatus doors opened the crew could see an orange glow reflecting off the walls of the apparatus bay, a sure indication there was a fire. Upon arrival to the side of the rice mill complex, the fire suddenly intensified damaging their trucks before the crews were able to move them away from the heat. The mill was owned by American Rice Incorporated. The old concrete structure had been on the corner of Studemont Street and Washington Avenue since 1903. It was later determined that the staff of the rice mill coated the walls of the milling area once a week with oil for many years to keep down the dust. This is most likely one of the reasons the fire escalated to five alarms.(All photos on this page by Jo L. Keener) Top Left: Incident Commanders of the American Rice Mill fire. From left to right, Deputy Chief Troy Robinson, District 6 Chief Alex Smith. Top Right: Ladder 6, left to right, Sr. Captain Lester Williams, Tommy Erickson Chauffeur. Opposite Page: Two alarm warehouse fire, 5205 South Rice at Westpark, District 3 “C” Shift, Engine and Ladder 51. A flashover caused the fire crew members to exit the building quickly. At the doorway from left to right, Randy Hartman Firefighter and Cleto Hernandez Firefighter. In the foreground from left to right, Captain Terry Musacchia, Sr. Captain Mike Lindsey, Jimmy Johnson, Firefighter, Engine 37. (Photo by John Makely, January 21, 1988.) The 1980s | 35 Top Left: The Fireman’s Monument originally presided in the Fireman’s Plot in Glenwood Cemetery on Washington Avenue from 1889 to 1975. In 1975 it was moved by the HFD to 410 Bagby which was the quarters for Fire House 1 and HFD Headquarters. In 1989 a group of firefighters formed a committee to raise funds to move the monument back to it’s original home. The monument took the return trip back to Glenwood Cemetery in early 1990. (Photo provided by Travis Ezell) Top Right: On June 14, 1989 the HFD received a call reporting a fire in The Mexican Mart grocery store at 11800 Hempstead Road at Lumberdale Road. The fire proved very difficult for the crews from District 5. The fire escalated to three alarms and two taps (call for extra fire companies) and took over an hour to get under control. (Photo by Jo L. Keener) Bottom: Two alarm townhouse fire at 5800 Valley Forge at Fountain View Drive. The incident commander was District 3 “B” Shift. (Photo by Jo L. Keener, December 22, 1989)

36 | The 1980s Top Left: Four alarm apartment fire on West Gulf Bank Road, August 22, 1989. Officers from Fire House 4 “B” Shift, from left to right, Captain Bruce Pylant, Sr. Captain Lee Newsome. (Photo by Jo L. Keener) Top Right: Three alarm high-rise fire with three taps (call for extra fire companies), February 7, 1989. The fire occurred in the One Allen Center building located 1200 Smith Street at Polk Street. District 8 Chief “Duke” Jahnke. (Photo by Jo L. Keener) Bottom: When the equipment from Fire House 38 “B” Shift arrived at this home on Cherry Forest Drive it was fully involved with fire and a total loss.(Photo by Jo L. Keener, December 22, 1989)

The 1980s | 37 38 | The 1980s At approximately 1:00pm on October 23, 1989 an explosion and ensuing fire occurred in the Phillips 66 Company’s Houston Chemical Complex (HCC) located 1400 Jefferson Road at Highway 225 in Pasadena, . The first of several explosions registered 3.5 on the Richter Scale. The incident took 10 hours to control and killed 24 employees. The incident injured 314, which included Phillips 66 employees and contract employees who were involed in maintance and new construction. No firefighters were injured. The accident occurred when a large amount of flammable process gas was released. In 1955 the Channel Industries Mutual Aid (CIMA) began in order to help the area chemical plants in case of an emergency. The Houston Fire Department is a member of this group and responded to the emergency in Pasadena. Top Left: Members of the news media. From left to right, Danny Conally freelance photographer, Dan Hardy Houston Post, Jo L. Keener freelance photographer Houston Post and Steve Euckert . Photograph was taken on top of the Highway 225 overpass. Top Right: HFD Haz-Mat Chief Max McRae and Deputy Chief Mike Ivy. (All photos by Jo L. Keener)

The 1980s | 39