|
In 1980, city council
authorized two reductions in the work week of firefighters.
First a Kelly Day dropped the average work week to 50 hours.
The second reduction substituted a platoon day for the Kelly
day. The platoon day gave firefighters 24 hours off after
every sixth shift, and lowered to 46.7 hours the average
work week.
 Preservation
of old Fire Station No. 7 as a fire museum began in
1980. The station had been proclaimed a fire museum
by city council in 1977, but little was done to
preserve the building. Chief Rogers assigned
Captain Calvin Mendel to oversee the renovation
project.
Seven rescue/salvage
trucks were put in service in 1981, permitting the old
salvage truck and special equipment van to be removed from
service. Eight new telesquirt pumpers also went on line.
In November, a new
computer-assisted dispatch system was completed at Fire
Alarm. Radio designations of fire apparatus had to be
changed for the new dispatch system. The old numerical
designation was replaced by the type of apparatus and
station number; e.g., 218 became Engine 18, 328 became
Ladder 28, and 101 (district chief) became District
1.
By 1981, all pumpers
were outfitted with 4-inch supply lines. The switchover from
the old two-and-a-half-inch hose began in 1980.
Hours were reduced to
46.7 hours per shift.
In November, 1982,
Arands Madison became the second female firefighter, and the
first black female, when she graduated from the Fire
Academy. It had been seven years since the first female
entered the department.
A 3-11 fire during the
height of Hurricane Alicia destroyed a paint factory on
Almeda Road near the South Loop on August 18, 1983. Engines
drafted from the flooded streets. Calls to the fire
department were running at four times the daily average as
the hurricane passed through Houston.
During 1983, the
department received 16 new Pirsch 1,500 gpm pumpers and 11
Seagrave 100-foot rear mount aerial ladders. A new Engine 75
went in service at Fire Station 69. Eight new fire stations
were under construction.
On December 11, 1983,
an ammonia leak at the Borden's ice cream plant brought
Houston firefighters to Milam and Calhoun. The engineer of
the plant offered to lead firefighters into the basement
where he thought the leak to be. Firefighters took time to
outfit the engineer with self-contained breathing apparatus
and instruct him in its use. Before they could get him fully
briefed, the ammonia exploded violently and sent bricks
flying in all directions. Luck was definitely with the
firefighters that Sunday morning.
Chief Rogers announced
plans to retire late in 1983, but would stay on until the
mayor picked a new fire chief. Five months passed and no new
chief. Finally, Chief Rogers gave up and went on retirement
in May, 1984.
Assistant Chief R. R. Harrison took over the
fire department after Chief Rogers. He was made acting fire
chief until the mayor could find a permanent fire chief from
outside of the department. She felt the fire department
needed some fresh blood.
On May 13, an entire
apartment complex under construction at 1100 Bering Drive
was destroyed by fire. The fire went to four alarms. Another
4-11 fire occurred at 5465 Braes Valley on November 20.
Residents of the Nob Hill Apartments escaped before the fire
consumed 20 units.
The mayor finally
found the fire chief she wanted. He was Robert L. Swartout,
fire chief of Seattle Fire Department. City ordinance was
changed to permit a fire chief from outside of the
department, and Swartout was named in December,
1984.
|
