Now extinct, one of the most unique and useful tools in the LAFD’s vast arsenal was a 50 foot wooden extension ladder called the “Bangor Ladder.” Made exclusively for use by the LAFD, the Bangor was the largest of the fleet’s ground ladders and used from the early 1900’s into the 1990’s. I have gathered a variety of stories about this ladder as a part of our history and for the reader’s enjoyment.
This was a big ladder with many stories so there will be a Part II in January 2016. It will include “the three man 50,” a Drill Tower experience, ladder restorations and more.
The Six Bangor Ladder Fire – By B/C Larry Schneider Sr.
“One of the famous uses of the Bangor was a fire that B/C Larry Schneider had where he deployed six Bangor ladders. I think that is an LAFD record for one structure fire. Here is his story:
On November 2, 1978, a fire occurred at 1000 So Santa Fe Ave, two blocks south of Fire Station 17. This fire became well known and talked about for years. It appears the item most remembered is the six 50 foot Bangor ladders that where utilized. This ladder wasn’t used because the firemen liked raising them.
My Staff Assistant Mike Majek and I were first on scene where we saw heavy black smoke showing from the first, second and third floors. This was unusual because this is a fully sprinklered building and the smoke should have been a lighter color.
The fire building was five stories, with a mezzanine floor and basement. There were loading docks on the north with baled rags stored on end. This required that ladders here be grounded in the street outside of the loading dock. The east side of the building was cantilevered from the 2nd floor over the railroad track and loading dock. There box cars were parked, resulting in no space to spot a fire apparatus. This required long ground ladders to reach the 2nd and 3rd floors.
The fire involved baled rags which weighed as much as 1500 pounds per bale. There was a large opening in the 2nd floor to facilitate separating different types of rags. The fire on the ground floor had spread upward through this opening. Most of the windows were blocked with the storage of bales. Prior to the fire, the sprinkler system was made inoperative (Arson).
I had established a strategy in fighting these types of fires. We drilled every week outdoors, often at one of these occupancies. I also took the officers on tours through different companies. The captains soon recognized that heavy streams were not the answer to fighting fires in these occupancies. This was because many of the windows were blocked with baled rags or the building had few openings available for such an attack.
To place hose streams throughout the various fire floors and prevent firemen from entering too deep into the structure required many hose lines to be in place. This meant ladders to almost every window and firemen working a hose line from just inside that window. Directing their hose streams horizontally above the bales would protect the floor above the bales from fire and the water would enter the burning bales from the top down. The heat from the fire in the bales would reduce the water to steam resulting in very little water on the floor. This would not completely extinguish the fire in the bales, however, it would bring the fire under control.
At the time of this fire, Battalion 7 had three outstanding truck captains (T-2 Elwyn Moore, T-16 Ed Hogland, T-17 Severino Trapeletti) and also outstanding engine captains (E-2 Dick Smith, E-17 Joe Chavez, E-25 Jere Souter). Captain Jim Ott of Squad 4 also drilled with us frequently. My former Auto Fireman Neil Bullock was the captain on Engine 30 and those guys fit right in with our officers on strategy and tactics.
Our truck companies were taught to provide all ladders necessary at a fire. That meant not only ladders for them to climb, but to have ladders in place for other companies to climb upon their arrival. Good truck officers should anticipate where later arriving companies might be directed and have ladders in place for their use upon arrival.
Assistant Chief Charlie McCown and I had discussed fighting fires in these rag companies and I offered my ideas on strategy. When he arrived at this fire he told me, “You know what you’re doing better than me. How can I help you?” I remained in command and asked him to take charge of the rear. Only one thing upset Chief McCown at this fire. He needed access into the 3rd floor and used two 50’ ladders. He ordered the next two trucks to raise two more Bangor ladders for him. One of the trucks was a 1972 Thibault and the other was a 1970 Seagrave. Neither had a 50 foot ladder assigned and could not handle the request.
The strategy utilized resulted in no serious injuries to firefighters. The fire was kept from spreading into the 4th floor and there was very little weight added to the fire floors. The fire was “Knocked Down” fairly quick for this type of occupancy. After knock down the walls were breached to the outside and the burning bales were removed from the building and individually extinguished. Of major concern in this type of occupancy is if the baled goods are tightly stored from wall to wall and heavy streams are applied, the bales will expand and push the walls out and the added weight on the floor will cause collapse.
Our Arson Investigators had a field day at this fire. The fire was deliberately set and the sprinkler system was made inoperative. The FPB Inspectors wrote up so many citations that this became the most costly fined occupant for fire code violations ever.
There were a total of 1024 feet of ladders used, including six 50’ Bangor ladders and a total of 32 hand lines including (fourteen 2 1/2” and eighteen 1 1/2” lines. There were no ladder pipes, wagon batteries, snorkels, squirts, etc. used at this fire. Water applied came from hand lines operating from windows over ladders, dry standpipes off fire escapes and interior stairways.”
Frank’s note: Larry Schneider Sr. is a retired Battalion Chief, one of seven LAFD members who served more than 50 years. This fire occurred in 1978 after staffing was severely reduced due to the Proposition 13 reductions in the budget. Written in the comments section of the fire report: “Operations during this fire demonstrated that the fire companies involved were grossly undermanned. Because of the understaffing these companies were required to over exert themselves in attempting to contain the fire. It was difficult to handle hose lines and ladders during the initial stages of the fire because of inadequate staffing. Many companies were requested in addition to the initial assignment to augment and relieve first arriving companies.”
Remember that in the 2011/2012 LAFD budget 316 authorized positions were cut and companies were closed. The LAFD needs to get those positions back as the City is growing and the LAFD is still asked to do more with less.
Tom Brennan Received the Medal of Valor for a Rescue from the 50 foot Bangor Ladder – The Normandie Fire
Tom Brennan is now a retired B/C and member of the Board of Directors of the LAFD Historical Society. At the time he responded to the “Normandie” fire he was an engineer at Fire Station 102.
The following story was written in the LAFD Medal of Valor program in 1985:
On the morning of February 7, 1982, companies were dispatched to a major emergency apartment building fire at 1609 North Normandie in Hollywood where a woman was trapped on the 5th floor, hanging out of a small bathroom window. Since time was of extreme importance, a fully extended 50 foot ladder was positioned under the window of the trapped victim.
Seeing that the ladder fell short of reaching the window, and in order to successfully rescue the victim, Engineer Brennan rapidly ascended the ladder, balancing himself on one of the uppermost rungs and stretched up to his maximum reach.
Calmly instructing the frightened woman to exit the window feet first, Engineer Brennan precariously perched and in constant danger of losing his balance, guided the victim out of the window and onto the ladder. With fire blooming out of the window the victim had just exited, Engineer Brennan mustered all his strength in order to lower the exhausted and weakened woman to safety.
Engineer Brennan’s courageous and unselfish actions, under grave and personal peril, were directly responsible for saving her life.
Firefighter John Kesler’s Story:
I had a front row seat below Tom Brennan as he rescued a woman from the top floor of a well involved 5-story apartment building.
TF-35 arrived first, followed by TF-27. I was a firefighter on T-27. C-II Dave Smith ordered the 50′ Bangor to the north side of the structure and to the rear. There was no immediate need for the ladder, he just wanted it there as support since we did not have a safe aerial ladder spot due to already heavy fire conditions. LF-102 was responding from quarters on a move-up, then redirected into the fire and given the assignment to rescue a woman from the window on the fifth floor. With Truck 27’s ladder already at the opposite end, and without lowering the ladder due to time urgency, members of LF-102, along with myself, moved the ladder to the opposite end and underneath the woman needing rescue.
There was heavy smoke now billowing out the window where the woman was. Heavy fire was showing from the next window over. Time was critical. Once the ladder was positioned, Tom immediately jumped onto the ladder. I followed him up. As we got to the top, it was clear the ladder was short of the objective by about three feet. I was very concerned about Tom. He is a big guy and I was not sure how he was going to keep her from jumping out the window. I figured she would jump and we’d both be knocked clear of the ladder as all three of us fell to the ground. She was now half-out – head first – of the window and wanting to come out down onto Tom. Tom told her in very strong, demanding language to get back into the building and come out feet first. She refused, so he was even more stern with her. She then complied. Tom stepped onto the second to the top rung (FIFTY FEET IN THE AIR), let go of the top rung with both BOTH hands and grabbed onto the window ledge. Keep in mind that at that angle there is not much room for a big foot to grip the second to the top rung. And if she had knocked his hand off the ledge, he’d have fallen. I was positive she was going to blast out of the window, knocking away Tom’s grip and both would fall. I was not positive I could keep them from both falling, along with myself, off the ladder.
Tom was a big man and she was also big. Tom’s bravery, physical strength and commanding verbal orders made that rescue a success . . . along with the 50-foot extension ladder. No other ladder would have reached that woman and she most likely would not have survived a jump onto the life net. Rescue Air Cushions were not part of the inventory, but the time involved to deploy makes that a non-viable option. Tom Brennan was awarded the Medal of Valor for his bravery. I had a front row seat to an awesome rescue.
Frank’s Note: John Kesler retired in 2012 from FS 35 as a Captain II.