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A Legacy of Volunteer
Fire Protection
The history of the City of San Francisco is indelibly linked with fire and the fire service. From 1849 to 1851, San Francisco suffered six major conflagrations. In the aftermath of these "great fires," the citizens of San Francisco formed the first volunteer fire companies to protect the City. However, as the City continued to grow, it soon became clear that a professional fire department was needed. Thus, in December 1866 the City established the San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD), ending the City's dependence on volunteer firefighters. |
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Dedication ceremony in Washington Square Park for bronze statue, by sculptor Haig Patigian, commemorating the Volunteer Fire Department of 1849 - 1866 (SF Public Library). |
The Blitz and the Auxiliary
Firefighting Services However, 75 years later in 1941, the attack on Pearl Harbor and the advent of World War II saw the return of direct citizen involvement in the City's protection and civil defense with the establishment of the San Francisco Fire Auxiliary Reserve. Only a year earlier, the world had watched in horror as Nazi Germany unleashed the "Blitz," a nine-month-long bombing campaign of London and the United Kingdom. London alone suffered 57 straight nights of heavy bombing. The Blitz ultimately resulted in 43,000 civilian deaths and more than a million destroyed or damaged homes. Losses would have been worse if not for the service and dedication of the Auxiliary Firefighting Service ("AFS") of London and other UK cities who tirelessly fought the onslaught of fires amidst the non-stop bombing. As part of their innovative approach to firefighting, the Fire Service utilized fire pumps that could be towed to fires by vehicles via a quick-hitching device designed by a London taxi driver. Auxiliary firemen rode to fires in taxis making it possible to get to incidents with limited personnel and equipment. Thanks in part to the Auxiliary Firefighters' resolve, London and the UK survived the Blitz, important national landmarks such as St. Paul's Cathedral remained standing, and most significantly the British spirit remained unbroken. |
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(a) The London Docks on fire; (b) a
recruiting poster for the Auxiliary Firefighting Services (AFS) of London;
(c) London AFS leading hose (London
Fire Journal)
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The Fire
Reserve Is Established |
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(a) Feature
story on the newly formed Fire Reserve (FR) shortly after the U.S.
entry into WWII (March 27, 1942, San Francisco News);
(b)
SFFD FR demonstrating high pressure hose handling at the Civic Center
under the direction of Chief Charles Brennan (July 1,
1942, San
Francisco Call-Bulletin, SF Public Library);
(c)
Poster for the New York City Fire Department encouraging volunteers to join the
fire department auxiliary corps (circa 1941-1943, NYC War
Services,
Library
of Congress).
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The Fire Reserve During World War II
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(a) (l-r)
FR Chief George Schaeffer, Civilian Defense Chief J.H. Helms,
Acting SFFD Chief A.T. Sullivan, and Yellow Cab Co. chairman J.A.
Baldi discuss using taxis to haul FR auxiliary pumps (February 9, 1943, San
Francisco Call-Bulletin, SF Public Library); (b) FR running
hose from a FR auxiliary pump (October 7,
1943, San
Francisco News, SF
Public Library). |
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Fire Reservists Have Served the City for 72 Years
Since then, the Fire Reserve has been a continuous presence in San Francisco, providing support at greater-alarm incidents. On October 17, 1989, over fifteen members of the Fire Reserve responded to the Loma Prieta earthquake emergency and participated in the extinguishment of the Marina Fire. As in the beginning, Fire Reservists have always volunteered their service and time without any financial compensation. | ||
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(a) "I'm
exceedingly proud of our Fire Reserve whose devotion to civic duty must
stand as a model for all other volunteer forces to emulate" (Chief
William F. Murray, November 4, 1961,
San
Francisco Call-Bulletin);
(b)
Marina District caused by the October 17, 1989
Loma Prieta Earthquake (USGS).
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The Fire Reserve Today
At full strength, the Fire Reserve provides the SFFD with the resource equivalent of 10 additional engine crews. The Fire Reserve regularly trains with a variety of specialized SFFD equipment and apparatus including the Mobile Air Unit, the fire boats, and 5-inch portable hydrant system. The SFFD Division of Training provides technical oversight, direction, and guidance so that Fire Reservists are proficient in current SFFD operating procedures. |
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SFFD FR profile in the San Francisco Chronicle (December 12, 2003) |
Training
the Next Generation Joining in 1941, Keith Calden was one of the earliest members of the Fire Reserve. Building on his experience with the Fire Reserve, Calden became a firefighter with the SFFD, ultimately rising to the rank of Chief of the Department in 1971. |
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(a) Eighty
auxiliary firemen of Engine Co. No. 46 equipped with gasmasks (June 5,
1942, San Francisco News, SF
Public Library);
(b) SFFD Fire Reserve 2002 (Michael Mustacchi &
Associates).
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The SFFD Fire Reserve: A Continuing Tradition of Service More than 70 years since its founding, the Fire Reserve remains an important part of San Francisco's civic safety infrastructure providing trained support for the SFFD at greater alarm fires and other large-scale incidents. In the event of a major disaster, the Fire Reserve stands ready to assist the SFFD in safeguarding the lives and property of the citizens of San Francisco. |
COPYRIGHT 2005 - 2021, SAN FRANCISCO FIRE AUXILIARY RESERVE