3/26/1873 a Philadelphia, PA firefighter died of head injuries while operating at fire at 16th and Spruce. 3/26/1892 a Chicago, IL firefighter died after he was injured while fighting a fire at the Cribben and Sexton Stove Foundry at 84th E. Erie Street. “Firefighters … [Read more...]
FIREFIGHTER HISTORY 3/25
3/25/1911 the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire left 146 dead in New York City. The company employed approximately 500 workers, mostly young immigrant women some as young as twelve working 60 to 72 hours a week sewing clothes. The company occupied the top three floors of the … [Read more...]
FIREFIGHTER HISTORY 3/24
3/24/1893 two Denver, CO firefighters “were killed from the injuries they sustained after a wall had collapsed on them at the Summit Fuel and Feed Company fire.” 3/24/1899 a Cleveland, OH firefighter died “while operating at a fire in a machine shop, he was killed when he was … [Read more...]
FIREFIGHTER HISTORY 3/23
3/23/1895 four Denver, CO firefighters “died when a floor collapsed during a fire at the Saint James Hotel. All but one member of Hose Company No. 3 lost their lives. The men were groping about in the blinding smoke in the rotunda and the cement floor gave way, causing them to … [Read more...]
FIREFIGHTER HISTORY 3/22
3/22/1890 an Indianapolis, IN firefighter “died as a result of injuries he sustained in the building collapse at the bookstore on March 17th.” 3/22/1902 a Detroit, MI firefighter “died from injuries he sustained after having fallen through a roof and into the … [Read more...]
FIREFIGHTER HISTORY 3/21
3/21/1881 a Newark, NJ firefighter died while “he was fighting his first fire when he got separated from the rest of his company. He was found dead on the second floor due to smoke inhalation.” 3/21/1885 two Chicago, IL firefighters “died following a structural collapse during … [Read more...]
FIREFIGHTER HISTORY 3/20
3/20/1905 a boiler explosion, and fire in Brockton, MA, claimed fifty-eight lives at the R. B. Grover & Company, a four-story wooden (heavy timber) shoe factory. 360 of the 450 employees were working when the old out of service fire-tube boiler was reconnected. The faulty … [Read more...]
FIREFIGHTER HISTORY 3/19
3/19/1896 Insurance groups form a committee that met in New York, NY with the stated purpose of standardizing the new and burgeoning market of fire sprinkler systems and will later become the NFPA. “The NFPA was formed in 1896 by a group of insurance firm representatives with the … [Read more...]
FIREFIGHTER HISTORY 3/18
3/18/1951 Sparky® the Fire Dog was born, Happy Birthday Sparky! “The legend of Sparky the Fire Dog began with a small Dalmatian puppy sitting outside a fence surrounding a school. The Dalmatian pup loved to watch the children at play. One day he decided to follow two of the … [Read more...]
FIREFIGHTER HISTORY 3/17
3/17/1890 Indianapolis, IN firefighters were called to the Bowen-Merrill Bookstore on West Washington Street to what appeared to be a routine fire. “The call came at approximately 3:00 p.m. from employees at the bookstore who had seen smoke. Firefighters arrived at the scene and … [Read more...]