There have been a few fire companies that have become famous in our history for what they were and what their firefighters did. “The Green Hornets” is one of those known for its uniqueness and capability “back in the day.”
Gerry McClanahan, retired Captain II and firefighter assigned to Squad 23 reminded me that this year is the 50th anniversary of deactivation of the Green Hornets, Squad 23 and later Squad 9. He sent me some of the history of the Green Hornets and some of his memories.
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Squad 23 – The Green Hornets
by Paul Dietzel
One of the Department’s most illustrious companies, Squad 23, was organized as an extra manpower unit and went in service at Fire Station 23 at 5th and Maple St in the heart of skid row on December 1, 1949. Squad 23’s first alarm district included the entire large central city area. Squad 23 also was special called to large fires and other major incidents anywhere in the city.
Each platoon’s captain and seven other members were provided with breathing apparatus, the first company in the department to carry breathers for all members. Those assigned to Squad 23 wore distinctive green helmet front pieces, which led to the name “The Green Hornets,” adapted from a popular radio program of that day. Their primary purpose was to get to the fires fast and wearing breathing apparatus, make a quick attack and hopefully knock down the fire and make rescues in atmospheres where firefighters without breathing apparatus would find the going dangerously difficult. The Squad also carried assorted specialized fire suppression equipment including forcible entry tools. A soon as the fire was controlled, the Green Hornets were returned to service and were seldom held for overhaul.
Fire Station 23 closed and the Green Hornets moved to new Fire Station 9 when it opened on November 1, 1960, and became Squad 9. The Company was disbanded June 1, 1966 when the department’s first task force went in service at the station.
During its nearly 17 years of service, the broad range of experience that firemen gained as members of the Green Hornets helped win them promotion to higher ranks.
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Squad 23 at the 1960 Matson Terminal Fire
By Paul Dietzel
On St. Patrick’s Day 1960, the Matson Terminal became involved in fire, one of the legendary fires in the history of the L.A. Harbor. The following story taken from Paul Dietzel’s book “Los Angeles Fire Department” is an example of the Green Hornets flexibility:
The underwharf fire moved faster than firefighters could cut holes. They found that flames had chewed far behind the points where they had cut their holes and inserted hoselines supplying distributor nozzles. Thick biting creosote smoke made the work extremely difficult and calls went out for more breathing apparatus. Squad 23’s Green Hornets, the only LAFD company fully equipped with breathers, joined the battle on top of the wharf and later boarded Boat 2 to handle hoselines jetting into the smoke-shrouded underwharf flames.”
Squad 23 worked all night on Boat 2 without relief. Although each man had a breather, it was apparent from the beginning that the supply of oxygen would not last forever. Most of the firefighting was done without breathers in the heavy creosote smoke that billowed from under the wharf right into their faces. The creosote smoke produced burns to members skin and they coughed up black material for several days.
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Memories of Squad 23
By Gerry McClanahan
Fire Station 23 was located on the original Skid Row. Hundreds of mostly men walked continuously because if they stopped to sat or lay down on the sidewalk, they would be placed in the police paddy wagon and taken to jail. No EMS in those days. When Battalion 1, Engine and Squad 23 responded we didn’t close and lock the doors. I don’t recall anything ever being stolen. Times have changed.
In the late 50’s, each member of Squad 23 had a Burrell Canister type breather as well as an MSA breather filled with pure oxygen. Some of the special equipment included a cutting torch, life gun, large pry bars, and porta power.
Many times the Squad would have a long ride across town and arrive when the fire was really cooking. Because we had breathing apparatus we were expected to get inside and make rescues and advance hose lines into very dangerous and weakened buildings. Members of the Squad had many tales of buildings falling on them, ending with miraculous escapes by dashing madly to the outside or finding the seemingly only pocket in the building with room to escape. After the fire the Squad would frequently sing to Engine 23, “The Squad did it again, the Squad did it again, high ho the merry oh the squad did it again.”
Because Squad 23 had two breathing apparatus per member, we were frequently dispatched to take care of hazardous gas leaks such as ammonia and sulfur dioxide. In the 50’s the city only provided your badge, hat piece and a flashlight which was issued at new assignments. All other uniforms, turnouts and helmets were purchased by the member. We also had our own Haz Mat protection which consisted of our turnouts, gloves (if you bought them yourself), four rubber bands cut from tire inner tubes to be used to secure the arm cuffs and leg cuffs of the turnout gear. Squad 23 also carried a large jar of Vaseline to be used on arm pits and groin areas before entering hazardous areas. Most of the time we ended up with chemical burns to any body parts that had perspiration. So our Haz Mat protection was four rubber bands and a jar of Vaseline.
At Fire Station 23 we had an elevator from the first to the 3rd floor. After a fire everyone wanted to get to the coffee, but the elevator wouldn’t start with a load, so we would count 1-2-3 and everyone would jump up as the button was pushed and the elevator would take off to the coffee.
Squad 23 had many leather lunged characters on both platoons who loved to be in the middle of any large emergency. Probably the most respected and remembered fireman assigned to Squad 23 was Clarence (C.B.) Roberts, better known as Robby or “Buddy Pops.” Robby was assigned to both Squad 23 and Squad 9 for many years and lived at Fire Station 23. He was frequently kidded about sleeping on the pool table when he was unable to find his off duty bed. On his off duty time he played golf at Griffith Park with his friend, actor James Garner of Maverick and Rockford Files. “Buddy Pops” was the guy you wanted to team up with if you wanted to be on the hose line that did the most good and result in the knock down. He had a way of always knowing where to go to get the job done. For a rookie to be on a hose nozzle and have “Buddy Pops” push you further and further into the fire were both frightening and exhilarating.
You would take a beating from the heat and smoke and you absolutely knew that what you were doing couldn’t be done by anyone, and when the fire would be knocked down, you knew that you and “Buddy Pops” had fought hard and won. Standing there, feeling relief, wet, cold and dirty, you would realize that you had just received a lesson from the master. Later when you returned to quarters you might even be privileged to sing to the Engine Company. C.B. Roberts was featured in the Grapevine when he was badly burned on his hands and arms during his last shift on the LAFD. There were photos of him at his dinner that night.
At Fire Station 9 the Green Hornets continued to be show their experience and aggressive firefighting abilities and were always an important addition to any emergency response.