Do you Remember?
Do you remember when a few old stations had a gas pump in the oil room? They were the old hand cranked type. Our station used to fuel up on the apparatus floor. We had a twenty foot hose to make it from the oil room to the rig. One day a gold badge from downtown saw us fueling up just by chance as he drove by. It hit the fan. They had to widen the gate to get the rig in the rear yard, install a new pump, dig up part of the rear yard, add electric lines and install a new electric panel. It was fun to watch.
Remember when you used to change your private car’s oil at the station and dump it in the used oil drum? No one cared. The city got a few cents per gallon for the old stuff. I’ve heard that the stations now have to account for every drop. Years ago some city painters were seen dumping used paint thinner in the oil drum. The oil pick-up guy really had a fit and turned them in.
Do you remember returning a relief rig right at dinner time? For some unknown reason this was the only time it could be done. I once had to return a very old Pirsch from West LA to the north end of the Valley. Going down old Sepulveda Pass I laid a smoke screen that nobody would pass. I had to stop and add oil. You always carried extra oil for these old dogs. The lad who was to pick me up got lost. He had never been out of San Pedro before he got on the department. A peanut butter sandwich was my supper that day, many hours late. That’s the way it was.
Do you remember floor watch? The doors were always open from 8 to 5 – no matter what the weather was. I’ve froze my tail off many times sitting on the bench watching for nothing. Yes, you could sit down. Some old chiefs would drive by just to check. What a bummer.
Do you remember when the cook left the station alone to go shopping? He took the plug buggy or his own car. Some markets gave firemen a big discount. One time our cook left before 0800 and was gone til after 1100. The Captain was a little upset. The cook went from downtown all the way to San Pedro for fresh fish. It was a superb meal after all the smoke cleared.
Do you remember Drill Tower 40? Many I’m sure have a lot of happy or weird memories of that place. If you used the Vincent Thomas Bridge you had to have a ticket. If you forgot you went around to the Heim Bridge. Believe it or not you had to order the tickets on a F-45. Do they still use that form? How many times did you go from downtown to Terminal Island? It was a long drive, short drill, and a long drive back. Once we went to the tower, on a very cold and nasty day, and just got there and OCD returned us red light and siren – big fire in Highland Park. Back in quarters, the fire is out, no big deal, except lots of mileage and a lot of very cold and P.O.’d people.
Remember when you worked at certain stations? You got in on a lot of different assignments. At old 3’s you could be on Truck 3, Engine 3, Engine 203, Snorkle 3, Squad 3, or be assigned to Light Wagon 3 if it was called out. Light Wagon 3 was a very strange vehicle. It had no suspension, very bad brakes, and the steering was very iffy. I kind of liked it. One shift I was acting captain on Engine 203 for a couple of hours, drove Squad 3 on a couple of runs, and was assigned to Light Wagon 3 if called out. It got a run at 4 am. A very interesting shift.
Remember when we used to wear the old blue dungarees? When you bought new ones you had to wash them several times or you had blue arm pits or blue underwear. Washing then in salt water really helped set the dye.
Remember when you had to teach a lot of the rookies how to drive most of the apparatus? Many didn’t know how to use a clutch or shift gears.
Do you remember when we use to watch the department training films in the station? Many were narrated by John Milton Kennedy who became famous later on. One time the projector bulb took a dive. We tried to find a replacement. No one had one due to the age of the projector. We had to return it the next day. Had to watch it – no matter what. That’s what the captain said. I had an old projector at home so the captain let me go get it. 25 miles to home, 25 miles back. I used the plug buggy. Those were the days. Try that today!
By the Watcher
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North OC/South SD breakfast club visits FS 80
L-R Andy Kuljis, Ben Costantino, Paul Phaff, Bob Borgman and Ed Diaz