A History of Fire Protection in Los Angeles Harbor (1542 – 1984)
By
William E. Dahlquist, Pilot, Fireboat 2 “C”
Frank’s note: This is Part II of Bill Dahlquist’s story. It was written by Bill in 1984 when he was a Pilot on Fireboat 2, “The Ralph J. Scott”. It is part of the many stories in a new exhibit funded by the Port of Los Angeles through a grant in the LAFDHS Harbor Fire Museum titled “The History and Evolution of Fireboats in the Port of Los Angeles”. This visual interactive exhibit opens this summer. I have written a continuation from Part II of Bill’s story that brings it up to date in the 21st Century.
Bill, now retired, volunteers his time supervising the restoration of Old Fireboat 2 on the dock in San Pedro next to Fire Station 112. The work is done by volunteers and the funds are from donations.
The Pace Slows Down (1930s)
Little progress was made during the depression years and the same was true for the war years of the early 40’s. The Main Channel was dredged to a minus 35 feet and a second section was begun on the breakwater. The 1933 Long Beach earthquake did a quarter of a million dollars damage to L.A. Harbor property.
Several large fires occurred during this period. 1,200 feet of wharf and warehouse were destroyed on May 14, 1941 at Berth 88. In 1943, an early morning fire took the South Coast Cannery near Fish Harbor. Birth 223 was the scene of a disastrous explosion and fire on October 21, 1944 with 16 killed and 50 injured. The fire destroyed 200 feet of wharf, two Navy LSM’s and 25 vehicles.
It was June 22, 1947, however, that the firefighters of the day recall most vividly. At Berth 167 in Wilmington, the tankship “Markay” was taking on a cargo of gasoline and butane blend when it exploded killing 11, injuring 22 and setting fire to wharves and warehouses. At one point, Boat 2 was forced to plow its way through a sea of fire to protect the upper reaches of the slip. Fire loss was over $5 million.
Another Move Forward (1940s and 1950s)
The late 40’s and early 50’s saw more large fires, including: three ship fires, three refinery fires and a major tank farm fire at Berth 119. It also was a period of more harbor growth and improved fire protection.
Fireboat 2 received new gasoline engines during the mid and late 40’s and in 1949, a new slip and covered boat house was built for Boat 3 on the south side of the station.
In Wilmington, the old frame house of Engine 38 was replaced with a modern station. The same thing was done to Station 40 on Terminal Island in 1950. One year later a new company, Engine 86, moved in with Engine 40 and remained there for ten years until replaced by Truck 40. Drill Tower 5 would later be built in the field behind the station.
1951 was also the year that Fire Station 53 was remodeled and Fire Station 85 was built in Harbor City at 1331 West 253rd Street. Several years later the San Pedro Signal Office, which had been located upstairs in Fire Station 36, was moved to a new building across the street from 53’s.
A Decade of Progress (1960s)
The decade of the 60’s was a period that saw major changes and improvements. It started with a greater alarm wharf fire at Matson Steamship Company March 17, 1960. A few days after this high loss fire, some firefighters volunteered to use diving gear to retrieve lost equipment. Division Chief W. W. Johnston, a diver himself, asked them to handle a 1-1/2 inch line while they were in the water. From this humble beginning evolved a whole new concept in fighting wharf fires using scuba equipped fire divers. It is still in use today in Los Angeles and many other port cities of the world. The divers are also used for rescues and fireboat maintenance.
The time was right for a second large fireboat. The economy was strong, fire activity was up and it was recognized that two large boats were needed to guarantee that one would always be available. Fireboat Number 4 was to be the ultimate fire vessel and A/C Bethel F. Gifford supervised the design and construction.
On December 27, 1961, she slipped into the Willamette River at Portland, OR with six engines, two propellers and a capacity of 9000 GPM. The 76-1/2 foot vessel had a 24 foot beam and cost $639,000. A classic-of modern design, she featured variable pitch propellers, maneuvering jets, special underwharf nozzles and dual pilot house controls.
February 22, 1962, she sailed into Los Angeles Harbor with blaring horns and water displays. Located temporarily at Boat 2’s quarters, she eventually moved to Berth 29 at Fort MacArthur where the boat sat outside and the crew lived in some old government buildings. That same year, Fire Station.101 opened in the South Shores area of San Pedro.
Fire Service Day in 1965, Fireboats 1, 2 and 4 were christened with the names Archibald J. Eley, Ralph J, Scott and Bethel F. Gifford, respectively, in ceremonies honoring these outstanding Chief Officers. 20,000 people watched as the boats put on a water display parade in the Main Channel.
1967 was the year that new Fire Station 49 was completed at 400 Matsonia Way in Wilmington, and Fireboat 4 was moved into the adjoining covered boat house. On July 28, the LAFD also took delivery of two new identical twin fire/rescue boats, one to replace aging Boat 3 and the other designated Fireboat S and quartered at Boat 4’s old berth at Fort MacArthur.
Built by Drakecraft in Oxnard, they were 34 feet long with a 12-1/2 foot beam, had a fibre-glass over plywood hull, three engines, two propellers and a 750 GPM pump. A third Drakecraft was later launched with the same hull but a different cabin and engine arrangement. It was designated Fireboat 1 to replace the old boat in the Fish Harbor.
The decade ended with still another major improvement in fire fighting capability. Because of its age, Fireboat 2 was slated to be scrapped in favor of a smaller, less effective craft. Through the outstanding efforts of Captain Warner L. Lawrence, a decision was made to cut the size of the crew and spend $239,000 on remodeling to make it one of the most formidable fire vessels in the world.
It took one year of planning and another in a local shipyard to produce the new fireboat. She sported the latest in “state of the art” hardware including all new stainless steel hydraulic turrets, underwater maneuvering jets, large capacity underwharf nozzles, six special bulwark nozzles, hydraulic steering, direct control of propulsion engines, a power lift boom and hydraulic winches. At her recommissioning, October 29, 1969, she was described as the most modern and practical fire fighting boat afloat.
A Leveling Off Period (1970s)
The 70’s brought fewer changes. New station numbers were assigned to Boat 5, Boat 1 and Boat 2, listing them as Fire Stations 110, 111 and 112 respectively. Budget considerations caused the closing of Fire Station 36, and Engine 40 was moved into Fire Station 112 to facilitate training needs at the drill tower. This was the first of several openings and closings of Fire Station 40 until finally the station and drill tower were abandoned and later torn down to make way for harbor expansion.
The evening of December 17, 1976, was suddenly shattered by an enormous explosion and fireball in outer harbor. The supertanker “Sansinena” had blown up at her moorings at Berth 46, killing nine and injuring 22. Fireboat 5 rescued 18 crewmen from the water as firefighters battled the awesome holocaust for many hours. As a result of this catastrophe, a new policy of company tanker inspection was inaugurated by the LAFD to help prevent similar disasters in the future.
April 15, 1980, a new station was opened in Harbor City on the same site as old Fire Station 85. It was joined at the new station by a task force later in the year.
Bill’s great story ends here. The following continued history was written by Frank Borden
The Port Grows (1980’s and 1990’s)
The commerce in the Port continued to grow through two decades with the fire protection capability and services remaining about the same with a few exceptions to increase services such as tank ship inspections. In 1989 Fireboat No. 2 “The Ralph J. Scott” was designated as a National Historic Landmark and was also designated a City of Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Landmark.
A New Century (2000)
After serving the Port for nearly 78 years Fireboat 2 “The Ralph J. Scott” was retired in 2003 with a major ceremony in the harbor. New Fireboat 2, “The Warner Lawrence” was christened along with three new fire rescue boats.
In 2004 the “Scott” was removed from the water and placed on a land berth adjacent to Fire Station 112 where volunteers from the LAFDHS began the work to restore the boat. It remained outside in the weather for several years until the Port of LA provided a large canopy to cover the boat making the restoration work far more effective and long lasting. Remember Bill Dahlquist’s saying “rust never sleeps”.
Our newest Fireboats are taking the heights in capability and technology. The new boats are the result of a ten-year, joint effort project between the Fire Department and the Port of Los Angeles. This process researched the current and projected future port protection role of the Fire Service. The port’s hazards, potential, and expansion projects were studied in close detail. Target hazards were measured for fire flow, fire stream reach, potential Firefighting Foam requirements, alternate water source needs and a wide range of other criteria. Once this was accomplished, the data was compared against our existing Fireboat capabilities, and the potential for enhancement, or reduction was carefully studied. On completion, a list of equipment and capabilities required to address the port’s needs was developed. This list included items such as Firefighting Foam capacities and flow rates, on board EMS facilities, SCUBA program needs, towing capabilities, improvised water supply ability and many others. Among the top priorities for the new boat were overall strength, longevity, technological superiority, and a wide range of enhanced capabilities. Ultimately, Marine Architects and other specialists were hired to formally develop the Department’s specifications, and the new large and small boats became a reality.