SPRINGFIELD FIRE JOURNAL

HALF-CENTURY HEADACHE

2012-01-23T18:01:00.007Z

The Crowell-Collier Co. closed its Springfield plant in late 1956. The building has been used primarily for storage ever since. In 1999, a general alarm fire gutted the building. [Photo on left]

CLICK HERE

In 2009, bricks collapsed into the street. In 2011, the fire marshal padlocked the plant after another fire.

Photo: IAFF Local 333

FITCHVILLE

2012-01-23T16:23:00.017Z

HURON COUNTY, OHIO
63 DEAD IN NURSING HOME FIRE
Nov. 23, 1963

TEXT OF HISTORICAL MARKER

"Golden Age Nursing Home Fire"

Located one mile north of Fitchville, the Golden Age Nursing Home caught fire and burned to the ground at 4:45 a.m., November 23, 1963, killing 63 of 84 patients. Fire departments from New London, Greenwich, North Fairfield, and Plymouth responded. Ignited by the arcing of overloaded wiring, the incident called for action to require sprinklers, automatic fire detection systems, and electrical wiring compliance to building codes in all nursing homes. The worst tragedy of its kind in the nation, the incident was overshadowed by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and was not widely reported. Twenty-one unclaimed bodies were interred in a 60-foot grave in Woodlawn Cemetery in Norwalk."

BASE FIRES

2012-01-23T15:25:00.007Z

On Nov. 21, 1961, a fire at Wright Paterson Air Force Base, located between Springfield and Dayton, killed two firefighters.

Dale Kelcher and William Collins were last seen alive entering the headquarters of the Air Force logistics command, which took fire at about 11 p.m. that night. [Top two photos]

Four days later, another major fire gutted a building at the base. [Bottom photo]

Both blazes were deemed accidental.

1913 FLOOD

2012-01-23T03:36:00.010Z

Postcards said to be views of downtown Springfield during the March 1913 floods that swept the Miami Valley. Dayton was hardest hit with the city and surrounding communities reporting more than 300 flood deaths, including Dayton firefighter Ed Doudnaa.

LINK TO STORY AND MORE PHOTOS

FROM LIMA

2012-01-23T00:42:00.006Z

Image: Columbus Public Library
Postcard of 1904 oil field fire in Lima, Ohio. Note top line on left: "Greetings from Lima, O." Also note the proximity of spectators to the blaze.

FRIDAY THE 13TH

2012-01-22T04:21:00.002Z

FRIDAY THE 13TH: House fire on West Grand Avenue, Springfield, on Feb. 13, 1981.

CHILDREN'S HOME

2012-01-20T22:58:00.006Z

Photo: gendisasters.com

FIRE ATTACKS CHILDREN'S HOME.
Bellefontaine, O., May 15. -- The Logan County Children's Home was totally destroyed by fire. All of the 42 children were saved.The building was a magnificient three-story brick structure, built nearly 20 years ago, but was without fire protection of any kind.

[Van Wert Daily Bulletin Ohio May 15, 1907]

DAYTON FIRES

2012-01-20T21:33:00.014Z

On Feb. 1, 1900, Dayton firefighters put out a call for mutual aid from Springfield, Columbus and Cincinnati for a warehouse fire - the worst in about 30 years.

A falling wall seriously injured Dayton fireman George Coy but no lives were lost in Dayton's largest blaze since the Turner Opera House in 1869. [Top photo]

According to an Illustrated History of the Dayton Fire Department by J. E. Brelsford, copyright 1900:

"This date will remain a memorable one to Dayton firemen. It was a bitter cold morning with a high wind blowing, when they were called to J. P. Wolf & Sons tobacco warehouse, on the corner of First and Foundry Streets.

"The flames spread rapidly, and for a time it looked as if the department was unequal to the task of extinguishing them. Aid from Cincinnati, Columbus and Springfield was asked for, but before either Columbus or Cincinnati reached here the fire was under control.

"The men fought the flames heroically for hours, always at a great disadvantage, due to inadequate water pressure, the intense cold and high wind. The establishments of Wolf & Son, Benedict & Co., Dayton Paper Novelty Co. and E. Bimm & Sons' were destroyed, while other firms sustained minor losses."

---

From New York Herald, May 17, 1869

BURNING OF THE DAYTON OPERA HOUSE

LOSS BETWEEN $600,000 AND $800,000

HEARTRENDING SCENE.

Dayton, May 16, 1869.

At one o'clock this morning Turner's Opera House, in this city took fire and was entirely destroyed. The building was occupied by McKEE, WOODWARD & WEEKLY, wholesale grocers; BLACK & FOX, wholesale china and queensware; GROVER & BAKER'S Machine Company, a large restaurant and billiard rooms. Nothing was saved but a few sewing machines.

The fine residences east of the Opera House, on First street, of J. SCHWAB, JOEL ESTABROOK and A. KUHERS, were also destroyed. The fire also communicated to the buildings south, on Main street, owned by M. OHMER, which were entirely destroyed, including the large furniture establishment of MR. OHMER and the grocery store of SARDMIER & BROTHER.

HERMAN SARDMIER, of the latter firm, was endeavoring to save some of his goods, when a portion of the wall fell, crushing him to the floor. His brother and several others endeavored to extricate him, but it was impossible. He lived in this condition for a while, when another crash came, burying him in the ruins. His wife and family were present, but no human power could save him.

The scene was heartrending. The loss is estimated at between $600,000 and $800,000, and the insurance about $100,000. It is supposed to be the work of an incendiary. The Opera House was one of the finest in the West, and was owned by J. M. and W. M. TURNER, whose whole loss will be about $250,000 over and above an insurance of $48,000.

SOURCE: www.gendisasters.com

XENIA - 1974

2011-11-24T20:08:00.036Z

Photos: Ohio History

Scenes of April 3, 1974 tornado that swept Xenia and killed 32 people. Springfield, Dayton and other communities sent mutual aid.

SPRINGFIELD?
DAYTON?
XENIA?
LIMA?

Do you have a photo, newspaper clip or story to share? Please contact the Fire Journal at wb2kqg@arrl.net

ROUTE 235

2011-11-02T19:42:00.013Z

Photo: WHIO-TV

New Carlisle Fire Department's Quint 2 at the scene of a ruptured natural gas line along State Route 235 on Oct. 12, 2011. The line snapped below the shutoff valve, WHIO-TV reported.

BLACK MONDAY - 1984

2011-10-30T23:52:00.015Z

BLACK MONDAY: Springfield New-Sun coverage of Aug. 27, 1984 fire at old Kelsey-Hayes warehouse on West Columbia Street. All off-duty firefighters were called in. Clark County township fire departments sent mutual aid.

[Submitted by Lt. Dave Aills of Rescue Company 1]

LEAPING TO SAFETY

2011-10-30T19:56:00.006Z

On Aug. 9, 1971, a huge fire at the B&M Fiberglass Co. forced several Springfield firefighters to "leap for their lives" from the roof.

"A series of explosions cut them off from their ladders," Captain Calvin Roberds wrote in the 1978 book "From Buckets to Diesels."

The fire at 350 South Fountain Avenue was fueled by resins and solvents and "caused a large number of injuries to firefighters," Roberds wrote.

The blaze also sent a huge plume of smoke over the city.

Firefighters extinguished the flames using master streams from engines and at least one aerial ladder.

'BACK IN THE DAY'

2011-10-28T13:18:00.018Z

Vintage Springfield News-Sun photos, from top to bottom: Black's Opera House fire, downtown 1903; "Covered Wagon" pumper, 1937; Ahearn-Fox pumper; old Station No. 5, West Main Street; East Street Shops fire, 1902; fire horses; Springfield Fire Chief Samuel Hunter and firemen.

[Submitted by Lt. Dave Aills of Rescue Company 1]

WRONG NUMBER

2011-10-28T12:24:00.017Z

A telephone call for help was wrongly routed to Springfield on March 22, 1952. The caller reported a fire on Massillon Road. That didn't make sense to the dispatcher who politely responded: "This is the Springfield Fire Division." The caller apologized, saying she wanted the Akron Fire Department - 160 miles away.

Associated Press story in St. Petersburg, Florida, Times - 3/23/1952

KAR GARD - 1972

2011-10-26T13:24:00.048Z

Springfield News-Sun coverage of 3-alarm fire that destroyed Kar Gard muffler shop and other businesses at 2100 South Limestone St. on Oct. 21, 1972.

[Submitted by Lt. Dave Aills of Rescue Company 1]

Close Call at Kar Gard Fire, Oct. 21, 1972

Springfield firefighters advanced a 2-1/2 inch line onto the roof by ground ladder but were forced back. The fire scorched the tip of their ladder before it could be removed. The roof collapsed and sent parts of the second floor crashing to the ground floor, according to Capt. Calvin E. Roberds in the book "From Buckets to Diesels."

BETHEL TOWNSHIP

2011-10-20T20:57:00.016Z

Bethel Township Fire Headquarters
3333 Lake Rd., Medway, Ohio 45341
Photos: Bethel Township website

CROSS STREETS

2011-10-20T12:42:00.005Z

INVENTED IN SPRINGFIELD? An Associated Press story printed in newspapers, including the Free Lance-Star of Fredericksburg, Virginia, suggests Springfield Fire Division dispatchers may have been among the first in the nation - if not the first - to routinely ask callers "What is your nearest cross street?" to pinpoint emergencies. The AP story was published Nov. 22, 1961.

LINK TO ARTICLE

CROWELL-COLLIER DEATH

2011-10-19T19:04:00.009Z

On Jan. 16, 1943, Dallas Groce, 43, died in an explosion and fire at the Crowell-Collier Publishing Co. plant.

The blast occurred just before noon in the penthouse atop the sixth-floor of the plant west of downtown Springfield, Fire Chief Grover Frock said.

Other workers sustained injuries, according to an Associated Press story printed in the Youngstown Vindicator.

Chief Frock blamed the explosion on spontaneous combustion.

It caused $25,000 in damages.

RUNS & WORKERS

2011-10-19T15:32:00.074Z

WHAT A PARTY!

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (AP) - The guest of honor, Raymond Beaty, was left by himself when a fire interrupted his retirement dinner. But Beaty understood. He was a city fireman for 17 years and his farewell dinner was being held in No.6 Engine House when it was interrupted by a general alarm factory fire. [From Victoria Advocate - May 7, 1960]

FIRE BUG: On the night of Oct. 21-22, 1958, a "fire bug menace" struck the southside of Springfield, according to an Associated Press dispatch published in the Youngstown Vindicator. Fire Chief Willard Compton said fires were set at Springfield South High School, an autobody shop and four garages. "All available policemen and firemen were called," AP said.

1873 FIRE: On June 2, 1873, the shops of the Springfield Agricultural Works went up in flames. The agricultural works - a plant that encompassed 80,000 feet of floor - ``were almost totally destroyed by fire, just when most needed to get out work for the fall trade,'' according to Beer's 1881 history of Clark County. The shops, which manufactured grain drills, cultivators and cider-mills were ``rebuilt at once.'

HIGH WINDS: On Nov. 12, 2003, winds damaged the roof of the Dole Fresh Vegetables packaging plant in Springfield, snapping an ammonia line and forcing the evacuation of 150 workers, said Mike Doan, assistant fire chief. Two people were hospitalized, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.

FREIGHT CAR TOPPLES SMOKE STACK: On April 1, 1905, a freight car from the Detroit Southern Railroad jumped the tracks and smashed into the boiler room at the Thomas Stationary Co., causing the plant's "huge smokestack to tumble to the ground," according to a dispatch printed in The Hudson Independent newspaper of Hudson, Ohio. There were no serious injuries, but some workers "were prevented with difficulty from jumping from the windows," the dispatch said.

AIRPORT RESCUE

2011-10-18T16:15:00.027Z

In September 2011, the City of Springfield announced the Fire Rescue Division would assume responsibility for the fire station at the municipal airport.

City firefighters underwent special training in aircraft emergencies in anticipation of the handover from the Ohio Air National Guard.

The city also announced plans to assume responsibility for the airport control tower from the military. Together, the changes will cost the city about $760,000 in the first year, according to the Springfield News-Sun.

The airfield's Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting Index Rating is "A" - meaning it requires one crash truck to operate under Federal Aviation Administration guidelines. The index is based on aircraft size and the average daily number of departures. The ARFF index rating for the busier airport at nearby Dayton is "C" requiring two to three crash trucks.

With the airport, the Fire Rescue Division will now have responsibility for eight fire stations - seven within the city limits and the station at the airport, which is located about about two miles south of the city limits on State Route 794.

The 1,800-acre airfield, formally named Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport, features two runways and operates primarily during daylight hours. Its airport code is SGH. The airport commenced operations in 1946.

“The airport is a huge economic development tool and it has great potential for job growth,” City Manager Jim Bodenmiller told the Springfield News-Sun. Bodenmiller also said officials asked the military to transfer its airport equipment to the city.

Some airports, such as Port Columbus International Airport in Ohio, depend on private contractors, such as Rural/Metro Corp., to provide emergency services. Rural/Metro assumed responsibility for Port Columbus from the Columbus Fire Division in 1995.

NEW CARLISLE

2011-10-18T01:53:00.009Z

Quint 2 - New Carlisle Fire Division
Clark County, Ohio
Photo: Flickr

PASS THE CIGARS

2011-10-17T20:08:00.008Z

Old lumber yard, scene of day's second blaze

On May 12, 1925, Springfield was the scene of two general alarm fires and when the flames were tamed the citizens of Springfield thanked their firefighters with sandwiches and cigars.

The first blaze occurred at the Springfield Abattoir Co at Mill Run and Buck Creek. (An abattoir is a slaughterhouse.) The fire broke out at 2 p.m. and the flames destroyed the cowshed and barns, according to the Springfield Daily News. The fire also destroyed some livestock.

The second general alarm fire that day broke out at the Brain Lumber Co. at East and Harrison streets. The initial alarm was transmitted at 7:20 p.m. with the general alarm following 10 minutes later, according to the Daily News.

The newspaper reported:

The fire started when a thick coating of oil on the surface of Mill Run, paralleling the lumber yard, became ignited from an unknown cause. Flames shot high into the air, and within a few minutes after the first fire company arrived on the scene, the fire had reached one of the buildings of the lumber company and then quickly spread to the others.

From the Mill Run, the flames first spread to a building in which shingles were stored, and numerous other buildings in which finished and rough lumber was stored, were quickly ignited in turn.

The newspaper estimated that the blaze, which was visible from across the city, attracted between 5,000 and 10,000 spectators.

The fire also destroyed three railroad boxcars loaded with lumber.

Firebrands from the lumber company ignited row house roofs along Harrison Street, and firefighters alternately played their hose lines on the lumber yard and the dwellings. Some of the residents turned their garden hoses on the flames.

The worst of the flames were contained in about an hour and firefighters wet down the debris throughout the night.

The citizens of Springfield, in turn, showed their appreciation and ``baskets of sandwiches and kettles of steaming coffee were served to the men as they worked in the cold hours around midnight,'' the Daily News said. ``Boxes of cigars were also passed out to the firemen by the officials of the Brain Co.''

GIFT OF LIFE

2011-10-14T15:36:00.009Z

Springfield, Ohio's paramedic units debuted at Fire Stations No. 1 and No. 8 in 1976.

The new service - funded by money raised by "Smilin' Bob" of WBLY radio - often provided the gift of life, as documented the Dayton Daily News reported in late 1979 or early 1980:

SPRINGFIELD - A baby girl was born by Caesarean section after her lifeless mother was rushed to Community Hospital here early today. Springfield paramedics rushed the woman to the hospital, according to Fire Chief Frank Trempe. He said it is believed the woman choked to her death in her sleep. The baby is in guarded condition in Community's intensive care unit and a spokesman said the infant would be moved to a pediatrics hospital when her condition stabilizes.

The fire division's efforts to resuscitate the mother no doubt kept the baby alive long enough in the womb for doctors to make the emergency delivery. It was a remarkable feat.

FROM THE EDITOR

2011-10-14T15:33:00.032Z

Photo: Local 333

Welcome to the Springfield Fire Journal!

We "went live" in 2005 and today - almost seven years later - there are thousands of words (and scores of illustrations) about the fire and rescue service in Springfield, Ohio.

Please scroll through the pages.

Click on links for highlights:

Do you have a photo, newspaper clip or story to share?

MOOREFIELD

2011-10-08T01:33:00.006Z

Photos: Moorefield Township website

Members of the Moorefield Township Fire Department of Clark County, Ohio - yesterday and today. The fire department was founded in 1950 and its current headquarters is located at 1616 Moorefield Rd.

EMERGENCY SQUAD

2011-09-06T12:14:00.005Z

Photo: youngstownfire.com

In 1953, the Springfield Fire Division replaced its original emergency squad - a 1949 panel truck - with an International Harvester Metro that permitted more headroom for the firemen and their patients as well as space for additional equipment. International Harvester operated a large assembly plant in Springfield at the time.

AIRLINER DOWN - 1931

2011-01-21T20:21:00.010Z

On New Year's Eve 1931, an American Airways flight crashed east of Springfield, claiming the lives of four of the five people aboard. The single-engine Fairchild Pilgrim 100A, which stopped at Columbus on a flight from Cleveland to Louisville, went down in a muddy field near Brighton in Harmony Township. The sole-survivor, pilot Lewis L. Bowen, said his aircraft "was flying low when it went into a barrel roll," according to the Associated Press.

RUNAWAY RAIL CAR

2011-01-21T16:49:00.010Z

UPDATED OCTOBER 2011

On Oct. 13, 1946, a refrigerated railroad freight car smashed into the lobby of the Frances Hotel in downtown Springfield, Ohio. There were no serious injuries. The car was one of three that derailed from a New York Central train, according to an Associated Press report printed in the Telegraph newspaper of Nashua, New Hampshire. The accident caused damage estimated at $100,000 by William Wendl, manager of the hotel, according to an AP dispatch in the Baltimore Sun. A wrecking crane removed the car from the lobby.

75 YEARS FOR BOX 27

2011-01-21T14:21:00.006Z

Photo: Springfield Fire-Rescue Division

In October 2010, Box 27 Associates, the volunteer organization that assists firefighters at major blazes and disasters, celebrated its 75th anniversary. Box 27 operates from Fire Station No. 4 on Lagonda Avenue.

FALLING BRICKS

2011-01-21T14:00:00.005Z

Photo: Springfield News-Sun

On Nov. 27, 2009, Springfield firefighters responded to the old Crowell-Collier building where a section of bricks crumbled to the street and sidewalk. There were no injuries.

FIRE CHIEF RETIRES

2010-12-07T13:52:00.008Z

Beers

Springfield Fire Chief Mike Beers retired in December 2010 and Assistant Fire Chief Nick Heimlich was appointed as his replacement. Beers, who joined the fire division in November 1975, was appointed chief in April 2000 following the retirement of Chief Frank Montes de Oca Jr. Heimlich joined the fire division in March 1987.

FEMALE FIREFIGHTER

2010-09-09T12:12:00.003Z

Springfield’s first female firefighter retires

By Valerie Lough
Springfield News-Sun
Sept. 8, 2010

SPRINGFIELD — The first time Diane Arbogast saw a fire engine, it was the day she reported for training at a new job — as a firefighter.

And, all those doo dads on the engine’s pump panel looked pretty intimidating.

“You look at something like that the first time and go ... ‘Ok,’ ” said Arbogast.

Twenty-five years later, Arbogast, the first female firefighter at the Springfield Fire Division, retired Wednesday, Sept. 8.

But, as a child, putting out fires wasn’t her dream. She thought she might be a nurse.

“I’m not a nurse, but I do take care of people,” she said.

Arbogast found her way to the Springfield Fire Division in search of a better job with good benefits.

In other attempts to get a solid job in 1985, some prospective employers told Arbogast flat-out that they preferred to hire a man for the job.

But when she joined the fire division that same year, the climate was much more welcoming, she said.

“All the guys were always just super,” she said.

Fellow firefighter John Sells said Arbogast’s nurturing instinct made her a natural in the job.

“I think a lot of people will describe her as motherly,” said Sells. “I’ve never seen her get mad.”

Arbogast plans to continue with her second job in the emergency room at Springfield Medical Center and enjoying her eight grandchildren and great grandchild.

Her voice cracked as she spoke of what she would miss the most about her job — the people she worked with.

“It’s like a big family ... they’ve become my second family,” she said.

DONNELSVILLE - 1956

2010-08-24T15:07:00.004Z

Donnelsville School

On Sept. 7, 1956, an explosion caused the collapse of a new addition to the Donnelsville School, near Springfield, according to the Associated Press. Emma Blackburn, 62, a teacher, suffered rib and wrist fractures. The explosion happened about an hour after school was dismissed for the day, the AP reported. The addition opened four days earlier.

HUSTEAD - 1976

2010-08-24T13:13:00.012Z

On Jan. 11, 1976, flames engulfed a house near Springfield, killing an elderly man and his two sisters, according to United Press International. Fire crews located the bodies of John Shaw, 80, Nattie Shaw, 74 and Ruth Shaw, 59 in the debris, according to Hustead fire officials quoted by UPI.

COUNTRY CLUB - 1922

2010-07-06T13:19:00.003Z

Photo: Springfield News-Sun

WINTER'S FIRE - 1892

2010-06-11T20:26:00.005Z

On April 12, 1892, fire gutted Winter's Art Lithographing Co. in Springfield, Ohio - destroying materials printed for the Chicago World's Fair of 1893, according to a dispatch in The New York Times of the next day.

"Before the Fire Department could arrive the entire three stories were enveloped in flames," the Times reported. "The company had contracted for all the World's Fair lithographing, and part of the orginial stones for the World's Fair work were destroyed."

The fire orginated in a room of oils and inks, "supposedly by spontaneous combustion," and "the heavy machinery was ruined by dropping to the basement," the newspaper reported. It said "the building is a total wreck."

MASONIC HOME - 1982

2010-06-11T20:07:00.003Z

On Jan., 10, 1982, fire "burned through the hospital wing" of the Ohio Masonic Home in Springfield, according to the Associated Press. Firefighters were hampered by intense flames inside and frozen equipment outside. The fire injured 30 people, including four firefighters.

WOODLAWN HALL - 1928

2010-06-11T19:18:00.011Z

On May 15, 1928, fire swept the Woodlawn Hall womens' dormitory at Wittenberg College, killing Hilda Sipes, 20, of Shelby, Ohio, according to a dispatch from the Associated Press.

Other women were injured jumping from windows early that Tuesday morning, the campus newspaper, The Torch, reported two days later.

Over the years, the tragedy contributed to ghost stories about Woodlawn Hall.

Ms. Sipes died in a lavatory across from her room, No. 11.

Firefighters located her body, clad in a nightgown, in a bathroom "stretched flat on the floor between the bathtub and the wall," said Fire Captain Ed Garrity of the Central Engine House, quoted by the Springfield Daily News.

The fire was discovered by Lilly Myers, house mother for the 20 residents, at about 2 a.m., according to The Torch.

The Associated Press identified three of the injured students as Alice Olde of Detroit, Helen McClain of Troy, Ohio, and Marie Schneider of Indianapolis.

The AP also reported: "More of the girls might have been trapped in bed had not most of them remained awake longer than usual to listen to a midnight serenade of a campus fraternity."

The AP dispatch was published in the May 16, 1928 edition of the Hartford Courant newspaper of Hartford, Connecticut. The headline of the story on page 6 of the newspaper read: "Co-Ed Killed in Dormitory Fire in Ohio."

The AP reporter identified the dormitory as "Woodland Hall."

NEW ENGINE 10

2010-05-07T15:25:00.007Z

Photo: Springfield Fire-Rescue Division web site
This is new Engine 10, which runs out of Fire Station No. 8 with Engine 8 on the southside of Springfield, Ohio. The 2009 Pierce Contender PUC was delivered in December 2009 and
replaces a 1986 Pierce Dash Pumper Engine, according to the Springfield Fire Rescue Division's annual report.

DOWNTOWN - 1948

2010-01-20T13:19:00.001Z

Downtown Springfield, Ohio, in 1948

GOOD TIMES

2010-01-13T12:56:00.008Z

Photos: Courtesy of family of Harry Huffman

Springfield, Ohio, firefighters at a picnic and outside a firehouse. Harry Huffman is seated at right in the firehouse photo. Can anyone identify the others?

OLD ENGINE 2

2009-12-11T20:21:00.004Z

Advertisement featuring Springfield Fire Chief Sam Hunter and Engine 2's crew at old Fire Station No. 2, which was closed during the Great Depression of the 1930s.

OREN-ROANOKE

2009-12-08T14:15:00.001Z

The Springfield Fire Divison fielded Oren Roanoke fire appartus in the post-World War II era.

CHIEF HUFFMAN

2009-12-02T14:04:00.005Z

Harry Huffman was promoted to platoon chief on Jan. 1, 1947. He was appointed to the fire division in 1928 and retired on April 1, 1949. At the time, the fire division fielded two platoon chiefs, who acted as shift commanders. In the overall chain of command, they answered to the fire chief and the assistant fire chief. According to a newspaper article on his retirement, Huffman's pension paid $155 a month or half his regular pay. Huffman was promoted to lieutenant in July 1935 and captain in August 1938. This photo was provided by the chief's family. His father and brother were also Springfield firefighters.

ENGINE HOUSE 5

2009-12-02T13:47:00.006Z

Photo: Cindy Funk via Flickr
Old Fire Station No. 5 on West Main Street. Closed 1981.

COAL FIRE - 1917

2009-11-18T15:51:00.014Z

The Springfield Tire Fire always burns in the hometown of "The Simpsons" television series. In 1917, a coal fire smoldered for weeks in Springfield, Ohio.

"Springfield firemen resorted to the use of steam shovels to help fight fire in a 100,000 ton coal pile in the Big Four railroad yards, burning since Aug. 1," according to the Mahoning Dispatch of Canfield, Ohio, on Sept. 14, 1917. The "Big Four" was the name used to identify the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway.

FIRE STATIONS - 1907

2009-11-13T19:08:00.009Z

Fire Chief — Samuel F. Hunter.

Superintendent of Telegraph — Michael M. Duffy.

Central Steam Fire Company No. 1 — West side of South Fountain Avenue, between Jefferson and Washing ton; H. M. Rankin, captain.

Engine Company No. 2 — East side of North Factory Street, between Columbia and North; C. M. Moffett, captain.

Engine Company No. 4 — Lagonda Avenue, between C, C, C. & St. L. Railroad and Florence; J. Edward Bryant, captain.

Engine Company No. 6 — Southeast corner Mound and Glenn Avenue; E. J. Perkins, captain.

Chemical Engine Company — West side of South Yellow Springs, between Pleasant and Dibert Avenue; William Fanning, captain.

Hook and Ladder Company No. 1 — West side of South Fountain Avenue, between Jefferson and Washington.

Hook and Ladder Company No. 3 — Northwest corner Clifton and Boler; H. T. Evans, captain.

Southern Steam Fire Company No. 3 — Northwest corner Clifton and Boler ; H. T. Evans, captain.

Hose Company No. 4 — East side Lagonda Avenue, between C, C, C. & St. L. Railroad and Florence.

Hose Company No. 5 — South side Main, near Park ; L. L. Metcalf , captain.

Hose Company No. 6 — Southeast corner Mound and Glenn; E. J. Perkins, captain.

Hose Company No. 7 — South side Cecil, between Fountain Avenue and Limestone; Pat H. Lawler, captain.

Hose Company No. 8 — West side South Yellow Springs, between Pleasant and Dibert Avenue; William Fanning, captain.

SOURCE: 20th Century History of Springfield , and Clark County, Ohio and Representative Citizens. Edited and compiled by Hon. William M. Rockel, Springfield, Ohio - 1908.

TWO PLATOONS

2009-11-13T15:14:00.009Z

On May 1, 1920, Springfield switched to a two-platoon system from continuous duty, placing firefighters "on duty twenty-four hours and off the same length of time — subject to emergency calls at all times," according to a 1922 history of the city by Benjamin Prince.

"The chief is continuously on duty; his entire time is given to the city, and all firemen sleep with their ears attuned to telephone calls, responding as quickly at night as to day time alarms," according to Prince's book. "Under the two-platoon system firemen have home privileges impossible under previous conditions ; they have opportunity of knowing their families and sharing in home pleasures appreciated by all of them."

Today, the Fire Division employs a three-platoon system.

ENON - 2007

2009-11-12T13:16:00.007Z

On Oct. 25, 2007, fire swept an apartment building at 6631 Rita Drive in Enon, Ohio. According to WHIO-TV, a neighbor fetched a ladder to rescue three people. Enon is near Springfield.

Photo: WHIO-TV

SEMINARY FIRE - 1900

2009-11-03T16:16:00.009Z

On Dec. 28, 1900, fire destroyed Hamma Divinity Hall, a seminary, and low water pressure delayed the firefighters' assault on the flames.

According to an article in the next day's Times newspaper in Washington, D.C., firefighters rescued three students. All the others were at home for the holidays.

The blaze started in a furnace "and by the time the students noticed it the chapel on the first floor was in a blaze," the Times newpaper said. "Efforts to put it out with buckets were fruitless, as the smoke was suffocating."

Underscoring the rapid spread of the flames, the newspaper said Oliver McWilliams, of Montgomery, Pennsylvania, "tried to get out of his room, but was forced back by the smoke." John Sweeter, of Curlsville, Pennsylvania, "was rescued from a second-story window." C.A. Hackenburg, of Pittsburgh, "escaped by crawling out on the rear part, where the firemen took him down."

The seminary - located on the grounds of Wittenberg University, then called Wittenberg College - was rebuilt in 1901.

COLLEGE PRANK

2009-11-03T15:16:00.007Z

Springfield firefighters saved Myers Hall at Wittenberg University from a prank gone awry more than a century ago, according to the Spring 2001 edition of Wittenberg Magazine.

The late Rev. Willard Hackenberg, Class of 1901, recalled that two students set fire to coal bins at the rear of the dorm:

“What a fire that was! Think of the many tons of coal that were burned. ... The Springfield Fire Department came with great force, but because the water pressure was so low, all the firemen could do was protect the dorm.

"They had to allow the coal and the bins to burn, using all the water on hand to keep the very hot flames from reaching the most important building.”

The article didn't mention the date of the fire.

CHURCH FIRE - 1906

2009-11-02T22:00:00.004Z

On Dec. 12, 1906, flames broke out at St. Bernard Church on Lagonda Avenue. The fire "for a time threatened the entire structure, but fortunately it was confined to the organ," according to a 1935 history of the parish. "It was much disputed what caused the fire, but it was thought that a candle was left lighted in repairing the organ. The organ was immediately replaced by a larger one."

MEDIC 5

2009-11-02T20:56:00.007Z

Photos: Springfield Fire Rescue Division

Springfield's Medic 5 pictured at Station No. 5. A second apparatus bay was added to Truck 5's quarters on the west side of the city to house the medic unit.

HELP WANTED

2009-10-02T13:56:00.008Z

Do you have a photo, newspaper clip or story to share? Please contact the Springfield Fire Journal at wb2kqg@arrl.net

BATTALION 1

2009-10-02T13:40:00.005Z

Photo: Springfield Fire-Rescue Division
Duty chief's car on the ramp at Station No. 1.

WORKING FIRE

2009-10-02T13:28:00.004Z

Photo: Springfield News-Sun
This is a Springfield News-Sun photo of a house fire at Southern Avenue and South Plum Street on Oct. 1, 2009. Two families escaped from the flames, the News-Sun reported. Engine 8 is at the hydrant.

GOOD SAMARITAN - 2009

2009-09-11T13:00:00.007Z

On Sept. 4, 2009, a motorist helped a woman trapped by a house fire at 1428 Clifton Avenue, according to the Springfield News-Sun. "Jonna Buckner was in the upstairs apartment when the fire started and escaped to the porch roof," the newspaper said. "A passerby in a truck stopped, took the ladder off his truck and helped her get down." He left before she could thank him.

JEFFERSON SCHOOL - 1928

2009-07-21T14:06:00.004Z

Jefferson School - destroyed by fire in 1928 - was located McCreight & Garfield. The Trump-Littleton Insurance Agency employed a photographer to document major fires in the City of Springfield as an advertising tool.

HELP WANTED

2009-05-29T22:02:00.014Z

Do you have a photo, newspaper clip or story to share? Please contact the Springfield Fire Journal at wb2kqg@arrl.net

NEW CARLISLE - 1895

2009-05-29T22:02:00.013Z

On May 6, 1895, The New York Times published a brief dispatch from Springfield entitled "AN OHIO TOWN ON FIRE; New-Carlisle Threatened with Destruction -- Opera House and Other Buildings Burning." New Carlisle requested assistance from Springfield's fire department after the fire broke out May 5, the dispatch said. William Francis Stockstill, 1850-1922, built the theater and moved to Dayton when it "aburned to the ground," according to a family history posted on the web.

SNYDERVILLE - 1968

2009-05-28T18:53:00.016Z

On Jan. 8, 1968, a freight train derailed in Snyderville - six miles west of Springfield - and set a family's home ablaze, according to the Associated Press.

The accident killed Jason Williams, 47, and injured his wife and three children. Brenda Williams, 17, was credit with saving her younger sister and brother, according to neighbors. A neighbor pulled Jason Williams and wife, Frances, 40, from the flames, according to the AP dispatch.

LINK TO STORY:

The Evening Independent - Google News Archive Search

A WORLD AWAY

2009-05-28T17:56:00.007Z

A random search of Google's newspaper archives for articles about firefighting in Springfield, Ohio, led to a brief wire dispatch in an Australian daily.

According to The Age of Nov. 13, 1961:

``Three children perished last night when fire swept through their third-floor flat in Springfield, Ohio. Their mother, with her six-month-old son, was visiting friends in a second-floor flat at the time. Firemen found the woman, Mrs. Elisa Duheart, screaming at the door to her blazing flat, attempting in vain to batter it down to rescue her children.''

FIRE BOMBS

2009-05-28T15:12:00.033Z

The news commentators called it ``America's long hot summer.''

In July 1967, rioting in Detroit led to disturbances in two-dozen other cities - including Springfield.

``Springfield, Ohio, reported its first racial incidents, with rock throwing and tossing of fire bombs,'' according to the Free-Lance Star of Fredericksburg, Virginia on July 28, 1967. Trouble was also reported in the Ohio cities of Toldeo and Lorain.

By 1967, the civil rights movement of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who would be assassinated a year later in Memphis, was losing influence to the ``Black Power Movement'' and its more militant approach to fighting social injustice.

BOX FACTORY - 1971

2009-05-28T15:03:00.011Z

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (UPI) - Firemen say four children playing with matches behind the Lynn Hockenson Co. here accidentally touched off a three alarm fire that swept through the cardboard box producing plant, causing an estimated $40,000 damage.

The Bryan Times, Bryan, Ohio - April 12, 1971

PUPPY RESCUE - 1973

2009-05-28T13:32:00.045Z

UPDATED OCTOBER 2011

SPRINGFIELD NEWS & SUN: On July 19, 1973, Barney the beagle puppy got his head stuck in a milk can and members of the Springfield Fire Division freed him - proving man can be a dog's best friend. The photos in the News & Sun were transmitted to newspapers across the U.S. by the Associated Press. Engine Co. 9 punched a hole in the can so the puppy could breath, tried cooking oil to slide his head but finally went with a metal cutter. [Submitted by Lt. Dave Aills of Rescue Company 1]

CHILD CALLS 911

2009-05-15T20:11:00.011Z

On May 2, 1990, a three-year-old boy named Tyler Wolf dialed 911 after his mother fell unconscious in their home at 817 East McCreight Avenue in Springfield, Ohio.

"He knows that he helped mommy and he called the squad for mommy," said his mother, Lori Wolf, who was quoted by The Dayton Daily News. "We're very proud of him."

The boy's father - employed by a private ambulance company - was at work. The parents taught Tyler how to dial 911.

Following is a transcript - from Dayton Daily News archives - of Tyler, fire dispatchers Rick Williams and David Storer, and police dispatcher Ann Eubanks:

WILLIAMS: "What's wrong, son?"
TYLER: "Mommy fall."
WILLIAMS: "Did mommy fall down?"
TYLER: "Yeah."
WILLIAMS: "What's your name?"
EUBANKS: "Is it Tyler?"
TYLER: "Yeah."
EUBANKS: "How old are you?"
TYLER: "Three."
EUBANKS: "And your mommy's right there and she fell down?"
TYLER: "Yeah."
WILLIAMS: "Is his daddy there?"
TYLER: "No. At work."
WILLIAMS: "Did his mom ask him to call?"
WILLIAMS: "Tyler, you stay here on the phone, OK?"
(IN THE BACKGROUND: Williams then asks fellow fire dispatcher Storer to pick up the call while he sends an engine and emergency squad to the home.)
STORER: "Hi, Tyler. How are you?
WILLIAMS: "Tyler, go ahead and talk to this man for a minute, OK?"
TYLER: "Hi."
STORER: "Hi. We're going to send the emergency squad and an engine out there, and they'll talk to you and take care of your situation, OK?"
TYLER: "No. My dad not going to be here."
STORER: "Why isn't he?"
TYLER: "Because he's working 24."
STORER: "Just your mother's there?"
TYLER: "Yeah. (Unintelligible)."
STORER: "Tyler, stay here on the phone, OK? We want to keep talking to you. How old are you, Tyler? What are you, about seven?"
TYLER: "Mommy! Mommy!"
STORER: "Is your front door unlocked so that the firemen can come in?"
TYLER: "Yeah. No. It's locked."
STORER: "Do you know how to unlock it so that the firemen can help your mom?"
TYLER: "Yeah."
STORER: "OK, because the firemen are on their way up there, OK?"
TYLER: "Mommy! Mommy! Bye."
STORER: "Don't hang up now."
WILLIAMS comes back on the line and says, "Hey, Tyler. What's your mommy doing now?"
TYLER: "Laying down."
WILLIAMS: "Did she hurt her head or something? Did she bump her head?"
TYLER: "No."
STORER comes back on the line and asks, "Are her eyes closed?"
TYLER: "Yeah."
STORER: "OK. We're going to need you to unlock the front door for the firemen, OK?"
TYLER: "OK."
WILLIAMS: "Don't do it right now. We'll stay on the phone with you until the firemen get there, OK? They'll be there in just a little bit. It doesn't take them very long."
TYLER: "Can I put the phone on the chair?"
WILLIAMS: "No. Don't put the phone on the chair right now. You just stand there and hold it. Are you standing there holding the phone?"
TYLER: "No. I'm sitting down."
WILLIAMS: "You're sitting down. OK. Is your last name Wolf?"
TYLER: "Yeah."
WILLIAMS: "Where's your dad? Is he at work?"
TYLER: "Yeah. He's working 24 today. His name Barry Wolf."
WILLIAMS: "His name is Barry Wolf and he's working 24? Do you know where he works? Do you know what company he works at?"
TYLER: "He don't work at company no more. He work at Med Trans."
WILLIAMS: "He works at Med Trans. Hey, Tyler. Go over and open the front. I want you to go over and open the front door, then come get back on the phone."
TYLER: "OK."
(IN THE BACKGROUND: There are three knocks on the door. Tyler asks, "Yeah. Who is it?" He unlocks the door after the firefighters identify themselves and ask him to show them where his mother is. One firefighter then picks up the phone.)
FIREFIGHTER: "Hey Rick. You there?"
WILLIAMS: "Yeah."
FIREFIGHTER: "OK, we're here, bud."
WILLIAMS: "Is it real?"
FIREFIGHTER: "Yeah. Bye."

WESTERN SCHOOL - 1954

2009-05-15T19:14:00.003Z

On Jan. 4, 1954, a general alarm fire swept the 99-year-old Western Grade School at West Main and Yellow Spring streets.

Eight teachers and 275 pupils were safely evacuated by the time firefighters arrived, demonstrating the value of regular fire drills.

The Springfield Daily News reported that when the alarm sounded teachers ``did not know it was a real fire'' and ``headed their charges out of the building before they realized the building was aflame.''

Coincidentally, an earlier school by the same name was destroyed by fire in February 1858.

Four years later, a fire at the Our Lady of Angels School in Chicago claimed about 100 lives, leading to sweeping changes in school fire safety across the U.S.

AIRPORT EXERCISE

2009-05-15T18:29:00.008Z

UPDATED OCTOBER 2011

Photo: Ohio Air National Guard

Senior Master Sgt. Douglas Drum, 178th Fighter Wing, Ohio Air National Guard, participates in major accident exercise in April 2008. The Ohio Air National Guard provided aircraft firefighting and rescue service at city-owned Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport until 2011. The Springfield Fire-Rescue Division replaced the military firefighters.

TREMONT CITY - 1963

2009-05-15T16:55:00.012Z

UPDATED NOVEMBER 2009

Willard Dale Ritenour, a member of the Tremont City Fire Department in Clark County, died in the line of duty on Nov. 4, 1963, according to the Ohio Fire Service Honor Roll. Information regarding the incident is scarce as the Tremont City department disbanded. Ritenour was apparently electrocuted while fighting a grass fire. His name is also listed on an honor roll for Miami Valley firefighters who died in the line of duty.

CAT RESUSCITATED

2009-05-15T14:37:00.005Z

Photo: New Carlisle Sun
On July 25, 2008, Clark County, Ohio, firefighters resuscitated a cat rescued from a house fire on Woodglen Lane in New Carlisle, according to the New Carlisle Sun newspaper.

BETHEL TOWNSHIP

2009-05-15T14:22:00.003Z

Photo: Bethel Township web site

Station 51 - 11100 Gerlaugh Rd. in Medway

OLD CENTRAL

2009-05-14T13:22:00.003Z

South Fountain Avenue, City of Springfield

ANNUAL REPORT 2008

2009-05-13T15:43:00.018Z

CLICK ON LINK

TO SFD WEB SITE

http://www.ci.springfield.oh.us/depts/sfd/2008AnnualReport.pdf

MUTUAL AID - 1893

2009-03-20T15:11:00.009Z

NEW PHOTO - APRIL 30, 2009

On Nov. 24, 1893, Springfield firefighters provided mutual aid to the City of Columbus for a blaze that consumed the Chittenden Hotel and Henrietta Opera House. ``The fire takes from Columbus her best theater, her best hotel and a number of flourishing business enterprises,'' the Daily Democrat of Hamilton, Ohio, reported the next day.

CITY HISTORY

2009-03-20T13:23:00.007Z

CLICK ON LINK TO VIEW PHOTOS:

Springfield, Ohio Revisited - Google Book Search

``Those familiar with author Harry Laybourne’sfirst volume on Springfield, or those encountering its history for the very first time, will undertake a journey that deepens an understanding of this fascinating city. Home to Wittenberg University, the Clark County Historical Society, and the Westcott Home built by Frank Lloyd Wright, Springfield has undergone numerous changes in its remarkable 200 year history. Laybourne invites the reader to witness these changes as they unfold. Join him on a fascinating exploration of Springfield, and discover its thriving downtown district, distinctive cultural arena, adaptation to rail and aviation, and perhaps most notably, the many faces who helped to build the city’s identity and profile.''

OX TEAM - 1800s

2009-03-19T21:49:00.009Z

"In the days of Fire Chief Simpson the Simpson Lumber Company horses were used in emergencies saving the city the expense of so many horses. Mr Simpson operated a lumber yard in a central location and one year when there was epizootic among the horses an ox team was used by the fire department the hose cart was too heavy for man power." - Excerpt from Benjamin F. Prince history book, 1922

LINK TO BOOK:

A Standard History of Springfield and Clark County, Ohio An Authentic Narrative of the Past, with Particular Attention to the Modern Era in the Commercial, Industrial, Educational, Civic and Social Development By Benjamin F. Prince

OLD STATION 9

2009-03-17T18:22:00.012Z

Photo: Springfield News-Sun

Old Fire Station No. 9

17 West State St., Springfield, Ohio

Closed Jan. 1, 1975

Engine 9, Truck 9

KING BUILDING - 1956

2009-03-17T16:17:00.004Z

Photos: Wikipedia

On Sept. 15, 1956, fire damaged the King Building at 21 South Fountain Ave. in downtown Springfield, Ohio.

HELP WANTED

2008-12-05T13:15:00.006Z

Do you have a photo, newspaper clip or story to share? Please contact the Springfield Fire Journal at wb2kqg@arrl.net

TAYLOR CASE

2008-11-25T15:34:00.012Z

UPDATED NOVEMBER 2009

On Oct. 29, 1966, the Springfield Fire Division emergency squad responded with police to 415 Ludlow Avenue for a brutal attack on a mother and her baby. Anita Taylor, 20, died. The child survived.

The Taylor murder remains unsolved and the family launched a web site seeking clues. The address is http://www.taylorcase.com/

The official police report said: "The Fire Div. Emergency Squad, consisting of Lt. Olds and Fireman Shook, arrived at the scene and transported the complainant and baby to Community Hospital, where the complainant was pronouned D.O.A. by Dr. Fifer."

GAMEWELL TELEGRAPH

2008-10-28T12:40:00.030Z

Photos: Aven Fire Systems and Police Guide

From the 1880s to the 1970s, Springfield was protected by a Gamewell Fire Alarm Telegraph System. Alarm boxes were located at street corners. When a box was pulled, a spring-loaded wheel transmitted its number and the bells at the city's fire stations clanged out the location. Firefighters also used Gamewell boxes to request assistance - second alarm, third alarm, etc. - and transmit ``out tap'' signals declaring a fire under control. On Sept. 23, 1915, Superintendent of Fire Alarm Lawrence Bosley, 45, was fatally injured in fall from a telegraph pole on Main Street, just west of Burnett Road.

List of signals from Beers' ``History of Clark County '' in 1881:

5 Warder street, at Buckeye shops.
6 The Western engine house.
7 Corner of High and Spring streets.
8 Central engine house.
9 Corner Lagonda avenue and Nelson street.
12 Corner Monroe and Spring streets.
13 Corner North and Limestone streets.
14 Corner Chestnut avenue and Limestone street.
15 Corner Main and Limestone streets.
16 Corner Ferncliff avenue and Market street.
17 Corner Main and Center streets.
18 Corner Center street and Obenchain alley.
21 At Spangenberger House. East Main street.
23 Corner Lagonda avenue and Main street
24 Corner York and High streets.
25 Corner Tavlor and Pleasant streets.
26 Corner Linden avenue and Clifton street.
27 Corner Pleasant and East streets.
28 Corner High street and East streets.
29 Corner High and Forrest avenue.
31 Corner Hizer and Limestone streets.
32 Corner Center and Pleasant streets.
34 Corner Factory and Washington streets.
35 Corner Mechanic and Pleasant streets.
41 Corner Yellow Springs and Pleasant streets.
42 Corner Yellow Springs and Main streets.
43 Corner Clifton avenue and Liberty street.
51 Corner North and Plum streets.
52 Carner Main and Light streets.
53 Corner Main and Isabella streets.
61 Champion Machine Company's shops, Monroe street.

FIRE IS OUT

2008-08-27T15:06:00.001Z

Photo: Dayton Daily News web site

On Aug. 22, 2008, Springfield firefighters extinguished a fire in an apartment at 555 South Limestone Street and ``a passer-by helped a woman in a wheelchair escape the building,'' The Dayton Daily News reported on its web site.

COURTHOUSE FIRE - 1918

2008-08-26T12:34:00.007Z

Fire swept the Clark County Courthouse early on March 12, 1918. Flames destroyed the clock tower, the grand jury room, the common pleas court chamber and the court of appeals chamber. Many of the law library's 9,000 volumes were lost. Fire Chief Samuel Hunter ordered his entire force to the scene. ``Hundreds of feet into the air the flames shot as they encircled the high tower,'' The Sun newspaper said. ``Several lines of hose were used to throw water on the southwest corner in which are kept all the court records of the county ... Two lines of hose were carried to the top of the sheriff's residence and from there water was played on the building.'' Winds carried sparks ``as far down as Spring Street where a dwelling caught fire,'' according to The Sun, and Sheriff James Welch ordered the transfer of inmates from the County Jail to the City Prison as a precaution. The blaze apparently started near a lavatory on the second floor of the courthouse, which was built in 1878.

ELKS CLUB FIRE - 1939

2008-08-26T00:35:00.003Z

Early on Aug. 14, 1939, several firefighters were overcome by smoke at a fire at the Elks Club at 126 West High Street as they searched for the building caretaker. Fire Chief Grover Frock was told the caretaker, Ernest Munz, slept in a storeroom, which The Springfield Daily News described as ``a veritable inferno.'' However, Munz was found in another part of the building sound asleep and ``unaware of the fire,'' according to the News.

BORDEN DAIRY - 1958

2008-08-25T14:01:00.009Z

On Feb. 20, 1958, a general alarm fire started by a welder's torch gutted the old Borden Dairy at 125 North Fountain Avenue.

``Two minutes after the blaze was reported, thick clouds of brownish yellow smoke poured from the building,'' The Springfield Daily News reported.

Fire Chief Willard Compton credited a dairy employee with preventing the flames from spreading. Carl Newberry closed a door between the storage department and the cheese department and contained the flames.

Milk cartons coated with paraffin fueled the flames, making for a smokey, slippery mess. After the fire, the pile of debris outside the dairy rose to the second floor.

Engine Co. 1 had just returned to the Central Engine House from a run to the Hume Hotel when the alarm was transmitted for the dairy, according to a 1978 history of the fire division, ``From Buckets to Diesels'' by Captain Calvin Roberds.

ZIMMERMAN FIRE - 1953

2008-08-25T13:23:00.004Z

On March 10, 1953, a general alarm fire gutted the five-story Zimmerman Building at Limestone and Main streets in downtown Springfield - but a lone lightbulb inside the structure refused to go out.

The blaze burned for more than five hours. It started in the basement and traveled up a dumb waiter shaft to the top floor.

``Although the Ohio Edison Company cut all electric service to the building one light bulb continued to remain lit all through the fire and stayed lit until the upper three stories were removed,'' Fire Captain Calvin Roberds wrote in his 1978 history book From Buckets to Diesels. ``The source of the power was never found.''

Rex Miller, who worked at Pat Finnigan's tavern, pulled the alarm box at the interestion at 2:52 a.m., The Springfield Daily News reported. The second alarm followed at 2:58 a.m. and the general alarm at 3:17 a.m.

``I heard something like a shot being fired or an explosion in the basement,'' Miller told the newspaper. ``The next thing I knew was flames flaring from the basement.''

Hazel Patton, the lone occupant of the office building, fled on a fire escape. Springfield Fire Chief Willard Compton directed the fire fighting and ``practically all men and apparatus from the city department were pressed into service,'' the Daily News said.

BOMBER RUN - 1946

2008-08-25T12:43:00.004Z

On June 3, 1946, firefighters scrambled when a propeller broke loose from an Army Air Force B-29 bomber 30,000 feet over Springfield and showered debris on the city. According to newspaper accounts, the B-29 - which had just set a speed record - was on approach to Wright Field near Dayton when the right outboard propeller broke loose. After striking the aircraft, the propeller plunged into a field on Leffel Lane. Another part buried itself in a yard at 335 West Euclid Avenue. A piece of aluminum casing struck the porch of a house at 315 Highview Avenue. Part of cylinder landed in a yard on Magnolia Boulevard. No one was injured on the ground and the aircraft landed safely.

DT&I WRECK - 1978

2008-08-25T12:23:00.007Z

On April 4, 1978, a freight train plowed into the Skelgas Co. propane plant in Springfield - forcing the evacuation of homes and businesses by police and firefighters. The derailment was caused by a flatbed truck that collided with the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton train at a grade crossing. The truck was hauling steel rolls. According to news accounts, a quantity of propane gas was released from the Skelgas plant, but there was no fire or explosion, and no one was seriously injured.

LUMBER FIRE - 1939

2008-08-24T21:15:00.013Z

Early on May 20, 1939, a general alarm fire swept the yard and buildings at the Clark County Lumber Co. and illuminated the night sky.

``All available equipment of the Springfield fire department was enlisted in the fruitless battle against the scorching flames,'' the Springfield Daily News reported. Train traffic on the New York Central Lines was halted.

Fire Captain Earl Hickman was treated at the yard - located at 1620-1734 West Main Street - for a hand injury and returned to his duties, Fire Chief Grover Frock said.

At the height of the catastrophe, flames leaped more than 100 feet into the sky and threatened adjacent homes and buildings.

Brands fell on a number of properties on the north side of the city and set a fire that destroyed a grain elevator at 1800-24 Main Street. Sparks also ignited a small fire at the Wilson Furniture Service at 1719 West Main Street as well as grass fires.

Utility poles and wires also burned.

According to news accounts, the lumber yard blaze started in Building B, which contained linoleum, insulating material, composition shingles and kitchen cabinets and spread to Building A, which contained the paint department. In all, five buildings were lost.

DOUBLE DUTY - 2005

2008-07-22T18:10:00.012Z

Photo: IAFF Local 333 web site

On May 5, 2005, the Springfield Fire-Rescue Division battled a pair of serious fires.

The first blaze swept an abandoned building on the northern edge of Snyder Park - apparently the former Bullock Garages, according to the Springfield News-Sun.

``It had a pretty good start on us before we got here,” Fire Chief Mike Beers told the newspaper, with firefighters stretching more than 1,000 feet of hose over railroad tracks and through woods to the nearest hydrant.

The second fire gutted a home at 2712 Berger Ave. Amber Griffith and her 4-year-old son escaped - and also saved their cat, according to the News-Sun.

CLOSE CALLS

2008-06-20T12:45:00.013Z

UPDATED AUGUST 2008

Fire conditions can change with lightning speed.

As crews battled a fire at The Peter A. Boggan Co. on Jan. 11, 1932, a floor collapsed ``endangering the lives of the firemen and the chief who were in the basement,'' The Springfield Daily News reported. They escaped without serious injury from the store, which was located at 34 East Main Street.

On Christmas morning 2004, Lt. Doug Buffenbarger of Rescue 1 plunged into the basement of a duplex at 805-807 Innisfallen Avenue after the first floor collapsed. Buffenbarger survived the fall, suffering only minor injuries, according to the Springfield News-Sun.

Several Springfield firefighters jumped for their lives as flames consumed the roof of the B&M Firebglass Co. at 350 South Fountain Avenue on Aug. 9, 1971. A series of explosions cut the firefighters off from their ladders, according to Springfield Fire Capt. Calvin Roberds' book ``From Buckets to Diesels.''

On Sept. 18, 2007, a flashover ripped through a vacant house as crews advanced hose lines inside the dwelling. Battalion Chief Marc Lloyd said none of the firefighters were injured in the incident in the 100-block of Shaffer Street, according to WHIO-TV.

HAZMAT TEAM

2008-05-14T13:51:00.021Z

Hazmat 1
(Photo: Springfield Fire Division)

Ammonia leak, South Charleston - 2006
(Photo: Springfield News-Sun)

Hazmat 1 went in service in June 2005 - and serves both the City of Springfield and Clark County.

The special unit - which is based at Station No. 1 on North Fountain Avenue with Rescue 1, Truck 9 and Battalion 1 - was built by Sutphen Corp. plants in Springfield and Dublin, Ohio, and financed by a federal grant.

Hazmat 1 is owned by the Clark County Commissioners. It is staffed by Springfield firefighters.

CITY MAP - 1882

2008-05-01T16:58:00.011Z

Point and click on map for larger image:

List of fire alarm stations (right)
Central Engine House - Red Dot 42, center of map
Western Engine House - Red Dot 17
Southeastern Engine House - Red Dot 61

ANNUAL STATISTICS

2008-04-24T13:36:00.021Z

SPRINGFIELD FIRE RESCUE DIVISION

RUNS FOR 2007

Medical - 11,543 (84%)

Fire and other - 2,168 (16%)

TOTAL - 13,711

SOURCE: 2007 Annual Report

__________________________________________________

HISTORICAL COMPARISON

50 Years Ago - 1957

Emergency Runs - 2,580 (74%)

Fire Alarms - 905 (26%)

TOTAL - 3,485

100 Years Ago - 1907

Fire Alarms - 149 (100%)

TOTAL - 149

SOURCE: Roberds

POPULATION TRENDS

Springfield, Ohio

1900 Census - 38,253

1950 Census - 78,508

2000 Census - 65,358

`BUCKETS TO DIESELS'

2008-04-10T13:45:00.048Z

Crowell-Collier General Alarm - 1999

Springfield, seat of Clark County, Ohio, is located between Dayton (to the west) and Columbus (to the east).

The Springfield Fire Rescue Division is a career fire department that protects the City of Springfield, Ohio, which is located along Interstate 70 and the old ``National Road'' in West Central Ohio. The city is the seat of Clark County.

The fire and rescue service - responsible for emergency medical care, firefighting, technical rescue and hazardous materials response - fields 10 companies operating from seven stations in three platoons (or shifts).

The shifts (A Unit, B Unit and C Unit) work ``24 hours on, 48 hours off.'' Each platoon is commanded by a battalion chief - a rank previously called "platoon commander" or "platoon chief."

Crews of the city's ``combination companies'' respond with either an engine or medic unit depending on the nature of the call - fire, medical, etc. The city also operates a rescue engine, three aerial ladders, a Hazmat unit and a technical rescue unit. An engine and medic unit are also held in reserve.

Typical on-duty staffing is three firefighters per vehicle - or about 30 firefighters, paramedics and officers - per shift. Combination companies are led by lieutenants. The rescue is also led by a lieutenant. Truck companies (the aerial ladders) are led by captains.

The fire rescue division is commanded by the Fire Chief, who is supported by two assistant chiefs and a headquarters staff of uniformed and civilian personnel.

The volunteers of the Box 27 Associates club assist the fire division at major fires and emergencies. The volunteers operate a light and air wagon and a mobile canteen.

Township fire departments protect the rest of Clark County and provide mutual aid to the city, and the Ohio Air National Guard operates a fire and rescue station at the municipal airport.

Finances

The story of the Springfield Fire Rescue Division is one of dedicated service and innovation against a backdrop of difficult municipal finances and chronic personnel shortages.

Station No. 2 closed during the Great Depression, and Station No. 9 closed in 1974 as the city's manufacturing base started to shrink.

In the early 1990s, three of the city's fire stations had only two firefighters assigned to each shift, and by mid-decade, the engine company at Station No. 1 was disbanded.

On average, the city's fire engines carried larger crews before the Great Depression of the 1930s, though at that time firefighters also worked longer hours.

The situation has since been reversed. A new policy of billing for ambulance services is providing more money for the recruitment of firefighters and paramedics.

Roberds Book

The fire division was the subject of the 1978 book ``From Buckets to Diesels'' by Springfield Fire Captain Calvin Roberds, who began his career as an auxiliary fireman during World War II. He retired in 1985, having attained the rank of platoon commander.

Roberds, who took great pride in his work as a fire service historian, died in 1995 at the age of 72.

The firefighters' union (IAFF Local 333) and Box 27 Associates helped raise funds for the publication of Roberds' book.

The Springfield Fire Journal is intended to serve as a 21st Century extension of Captain Roberds' comprehensive work. Besides adding new features to the Fire Journal, your editor regularly updates existing articles.

Suggestions are welcomed at wb2kqg@arrl.net

City Heritage

Springfield, established in 1799 by James Demint and migrant Kentuckians, evolved into a major industrial center in the 19th and 20th centuries.

In the 1800s, it led the U.S. in production of agricultural equipment. In the early 1900s, the city's factories produced a variety of autos, including the Bramwell, Brenning, Foos, Frayer-Miller, Kelly Steam, Russell-Springfield and Westcott, according to the Ohio Historical Society.

As the community evolved, fire protection evolved too - from bucket brigades, to volunteer companies and minute men, to a paid fire department to today's fire-rescue service.

Prevention vs Suppression

In the fire service, community safety is Priority No .1.

In his book, Roberds observed:

``Considering the primary mission of the fire service - fire prevention - the fire division has done its most effective work when the engines are in the engine houses. Yet the average citizen is apt to feel that engines not in use are not needed. Conversely, when the firefighters and engines are hard at work on a major fire, the first mission of the fire service has already been lost.''

Paramedics

Since the fire division fielded its first "Emergency Squad" in 1949, its role as first responder to medical emergencies has increased, with medical runs accounting for more than 80 percent of ALL the division's annual runs.

The formal name of the agency was changed to the Springfield Fire Rescue Division in the 1990s to reflect its wider role in the community.

In the annual report for 2004, Springfield Fire Chief Mike Beers reported that three decades after the establishment of the paramedic program - during the tenure of Fire Chief Frank Trempe - more than 80 percent of the city's firefighters are certified to provide advanced life support.

``Frank Trempe was my first fire chief, and he is oftentimes credited with having the vision to embrace the paramedic program that has led to our having the ability today to provide emergency medical services second to none,'' Beers wrote.

ARCADE HOTEL - 1894

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On Feb. 19, 1894, fire swept the downtown Arcade Hotel. Flames started in the basement ``Kindling Room,'' where coal and other fuels were stored - and ascended the elevator shaft. Fire Chief Ed Simpson ordered a general alarm to save the hotel.

``So quickly did the smoke cover the entire building that the women attaches of the hotel and in the dining room were compelled to escape from the windows and over the roof,'' The Springfield Weekly Republic reported Feb. 22.

The flames - discovered at 10:15 a.m. - ``spread from the east side to the west side of the hotel throughout all floors, and began eating their way through the hallways on the west side, where the guest chambers are,'' the Republic said.

``The fight became bitter here to prevent the spread of the flames, for if they could pass this point the entire block to High Street would probaly be consumed,'' the newspaper said. By 2 p.m., though, Simpson said the fire was under control.

OFFICE OF FIRE CHIEF

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UPDATED OCTOBER 2011

Photo: Fire Division web site

On May 7, 2004, J. Mike Beers (right), who served as chief of the Springfield Fire Rescue Division from 2000-2010, received an Ohio Fire Executive diploma from Stan Crosley, president of the Ohio Fire Chiefs' Association at Ohio State University. The OFE program is an intensive, two-and-a-half year executive education course for senior fire service officers. Beers was appointed to the fire division in 1975 and advanced through the ranks. In 1991, he was promoted from captain to assistant chief, upon the retirement of Assistant Chief James Oldham. In 2000, he followed Frank Montes De Oca Jr. as fire chief.

Nathaniel Cook 1854 (Volunteer)

James Cushman 1855 (Volunteer)

Abram Ludlow 1856-1857 (Volunteer)

Jeremiah Klinefelter 1857-1859 (Volunteer)

William Blakeny 1859-1865 (Volunteer)

Abram Ludlow 1865-1871

Robert King 1891-1879

J. Christie Holloway 1879-1882

William Moore Jr. 1882-1884

Ed Simpson 1884-1895

George Follrath, 1895-1904

Samuel Hunter, 1904-1928 (Hired from outside fire division)

Louis Locher, 1928-1934

Grover Frock, 1934-1952

Willard Compton, 1952-1963

John Gnau, 1963-1970

Frank Trempe Jr. 1970-1980

William Edgington 1980-1983

William Casey 1984-1989 (Served as acting chief before appointment. Also acted as temporary city manager.)

Donald Lee 1992-1997 (Served as acting chief before appointment )

Frank Montes De Oca Jr. 1997-2000 (Hired from outside fire division)

J. Mike Beers 2000-2010

Nicholas Heimlich 2010-present

CHIEFS' ASSOCIATION

Over the years, three of Springfield's fire chiefs served as presidents of the Ohio Fire Chiefs' Association:

1958-59
Chief Willard C. Compton

1937-38
Chief Grover L. Frock

1919-21
Chief Samuel F. Hunter

Additionally, the chief's association presented its Distinguished Service Award to retired Springfield Fire Chief Frank Trempe in 1983. The members of Box 27 Associates received the Distinguished Service Award a year earlier.

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CHIEF LUDLOW

In the 1800s, former Springfield Fire Chief A.R. Ludlow, who also served as the city's Police and Fire Commissioner, ran for Governor of Ohio on the anti-liquor Prohibition ticket.

GREAT DEPRESSION

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UPDATED MAY 2008

The Great Depression crippled the economy in the 1930s and Springfield's firefighters banded together to prevent job cuts.

``Revenues were inefficient to meet the payroll,'' according to Calvin Roberds' book ``From Buckets to Diesels.'' ``A severe cutback in manpower was proposed.''

Instead, the firefighters ``proved their strong bonds of brotherhood'' and agreed to give up a day of pay each week, Roberds wrote.

The agreement, signed during November 1930, ``kept on duty - and on the payroll - many men who otherwise would have been laid off from work,'' Roberds wrote.

Across Ohio, the state's unemployment rate reached 37.3 percent by 1932, according to the Ohio Historical Society.

As the depression deepended, the city was forced to close Fire Station No. 2 and Fire Station No. 8 in 1932.

Station No. 8 ``was opened again after a very short time of closure but No. 2 engine house remained closed,'' effective Sept. 7, 1932, according to Roberds' book.

Other municipal services suffered. In March 1936, public schools ``closed for lack of funds,'' according to the Clark County Historical Society.

Businesses declared bankruptcy and banks restricted withdrawals to halt a run on deposits in 1933.

Even as the number of fire alarms increased during the 1930s, the city cut spending on supplies and apparatus, placing a ``severe strain on existing equipment,'' Roberds wrote. ``Bursting hose was a problem encountered at many of the working fires.''

What's more, a pair of 1902 American LaFrance steam fire engines remained on the fire division's apparatus roster as spares during the Great Depression. The steamers were housed at Station No. 6 and Station No. 8, according to the apparatus roster for 1936. They remained in reserve until 1940 or 1941.

REMEMBER 9-11

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Photo: Fire Division web site

Remembering Sept. 11, 2001

On Sept. 11, 2002, the City of Springfield marked the first anniversary of the tragedies at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and rural Pennsylvania with ceremonies at Fire Stations #4 and #8. Fire Chief Mike Beers and Police Chief Dave Walters were presented a proclamation by Vice Mayor Dan Martin declaring ``Always Remember 9-11 Day''

JAWS OF LIFE - 2004

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ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO of Springfield firefighters extricating the driver of a truck that was struck by a Norfolk Southern locomotive on March 30, 2004. The collision occurred on Zischler Street and the locomotive pushed the truck a half mile east to Isabella Street, according to the AP.

LINK TO ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO:

http://www.ap.org/ohio/week_13/pages/TRAIN_FATAL_OHSPR101.html