Houston Fire Museum

2403 Milam Street

Houston, Texas 77006

Phone: (713) 524-2526

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1925 - 1930

An evaluation of the fire department by the National Board of Fire Underwriters (NBFU) took place in April, 1925. Overall, the report was complimentary of the fire department. Recommendations for improvement in the report included: 1) an engine and ladder company in the western edge of the city; 2) divide the city into districts with a battalion chief in charge of each district; 3) add hose tenders with turret pipes to high value districts; 4) build a modern training facility; 5) put pumpers at stations that only have hose wagons (stations 11, 13, and 15); and 6) provide for move-up companies on the run schedule for multiple alarms.

Another huge annexation by the city caused several more fire stations to be added. Fire Station No. 17 went in at 319 Sampson and Preston, Fire Station 18 in a tent in the 4400 block of Walker (later moved into permanent quarters at 619 Telephone and Eddington), and Fire Station 19 at 1804 Gregg and New Orleans.

The City of Harrisburg was part of the annexation of 1926. It had two fire stations which became Fire Station 20 (Avenue F and 73rd) and Fire Station No. 22 (7825 Harrisburg).

The first fire boat went in service in 1926 at City Wharf No. 5 on the Ship Channel. The barracks where the fireboat moored was designated as Fire Station No. 21. Eighteen firefighters were assigned to the fire boat, named the Port Houston. The fire boat had a pumping capacity of 7,000 gallons per minute.

The fire department responded to a recommendation of the NBFU and divided the city into four districts in 1926. A new rank of battalion chief was created to head each district. Soon the terms battalion chief and district chief were being used interchangeably for the new rank. District chief finally prevailed in the 1930s.

In 1927, Fire Station No 23 opened at 824 San Antonio and Manchester.

A training facility, another recommendation of NBFU, was built beside the central fire station in 1928 at the corner of Preston and Austin. The training facility had a five-story drill tower with a smoke basement, and a small building beside the tower to teach ventilation.

Two more fire stations opened in 1928: Fire Station 24 at Palmer & Bell (Station 24 earlier opened in a tent on Polk Street); and Fire Station 25 at Blodgett & Velasco.

Three guests were killed in a predawn fire on December 12, 1928. The fire occurred in the Boyle Hotel at 220 Louisiana.

A new mayor and fire commissioner won in the city election, and Fred Seibert was appointed for a second time as fire chief in 1929, the first fire chief to serve two different terms. The fire commissioner was Andrew Delery. G. W. Richardson and J. H. Davidson were assistant chiefs. C. A. Middlekauf and E. B. Hartwell, who were assistant chiefs under the past administration, were listed as deputy chiefs in charge of Battalion 1.

Battalion chiefs of the other three battalions were R. F. Ollre, G. C. Adams, E. G. Smith, W. R. Peabody, C. A. Ollre, and H. Diezi. There were a total of 367 uniformed firefighters.

Flood water rose over the banks of Buffalo Bayou in May, 1929, and kept firefighters busy for 72 hours trying to save people and property from rising water. Despite their efforts, three people died and goods valued at a million dollars were lost. For a time, the high water threatened the pumps of the central waterworks.

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The Houston Fire Museum, Inc. is a 501-C- 3 non-profit organization educating the community on fire and life safety and the history of the fire service. The Museum is supported by membership, gift shop sales and the generous contributions of foundations and corporations.