Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service

The Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service was founded in 1872 as the Birmingham Fire Department under chief Ferdinand Neville.

The current service is headed by Chief Ivor Brooks (replacing Acting Chief Carl A. Harper) and consists of 648 firefighters in four battalions responding from 30 stations. The Department's motto is "Excellence through Service".

History

The Birmingham Fire Department originally only served the downtown area. A system of alarm bells told firemen which ward the alarm originated from. The department's new steamer, nicknamed Bossie O'Brien, was paraded for Mardi Gras 1886.

Before the city organized the Fire Department under Chief Neville, the city was protected with Bossie O'Brien and other apparatus by various volunteer outfits that competed with each other.

In May 1909 Mayor George Ward reported the following yearly acquisitions for the fire department:

• 1905 (baseline): 6 fire stations, 56 men, 31 horses, 5 engines, 6 hose wagons, 1 truck, 1 chemical unit, 1 chief's buggy, and 320 fire plugs
• 1906: 7 fire stations, 88 men, 40 horses, 5 engines, 7 hose wagons, 2 trucks, 1 chemical unit, 2 chief's buggies, and 365 fire plugs
• 1907: 9 fire stations, 107 men, 46 horses, 6 engines, 9 hose wagons, 2 trucks, 1 chemical unit, 2 chief's buggies, and 426 fire plugs
• 1908: The addition of 3 supply wagons and 34 new fire plugs.^1.

The Chief and Mayor were at odds as to whether to get a new motorized fire pumper, so a race was organized. The first to get from City Hall to present-day Five Points South along 20th Street would win. The motorized pumper won, and proved its worth later when a fire at Howard College broke out. The horses pulling the steam pumper couldn't make the hill. But the motorized pumper was there in a matter of minutes.

The last fire service horse in Birmingham was retired in the early 1970's from Station 17 in Wylam.

On March 10, 1934 the department, headed by chief B. O. Hargrove fought a massive fire at the Loveman, Joseph & Loeb warehouse. Following the fire, a souvenir book describing the battle was published with proceeds going to the Birmingham Firemen's Relief Association. The book listed the department's equipment at the time as follows:

1 65-foot Seagrave Water Tower

2 85-foot Seagrave Aerial Ladder Trucks

1 55-foot Seagrave Service Truck

1 55-fot American LaFrance Service Truck

2 1200-gallon Seagrave Pumpers

1 1000-gallon American LaFrance Pumper

2 750-gallon Seagrave Pumpers

1 600-gallon Seagrave Pumper

14 750-gallon American LaFrance Pumpers

3 600-gallon American LaFrance Pumpers

1 Seagrave Combination Chemical and Hose Wagon

Various small trucks and sedans for personnel

Approx. 70,000 feet of hose line

The department added a paramedic program to its services in 1973. In 1993 it began transporting critical patients to hospitals in its own rescue vehicles rather than calling for ambulance services. By 1999 it had added enough units to transport all patients and was participating in the Birmingham Regional Emergency Medical Services System to determine which emergency room was best equipped to handle the call.

The department currently operates with 648 firefighters staffing 30 stations in four battalions. The department has 27 pumpers, 2 quint trucks, 2 bronto units, and 16 rescue units. They also have two hazardous materials units, two heavy rescue units, two air units, two decontamination units and two brush-fire trucks. The department also keeps a small fleet of electric golf carts which can be used for operations during public events like City Stages.

Chiefs

• W. P. Brewer (1882–1885)
• F. A. Gafford (1885–1886)
• A. O. Pickard (1886–1887)
• Ferdinand Neville (1887–1890)
• J. Thaddeus Mullin (1890–1905)
• Will M. Walton (1905–1906)
• Armenius Bennett (1906–1914)
• Sidney Middleton (1914–1922)
• J. L. Akin (1922–1934)
• B. O. Hargrove (1934–1937)
• Alf Brown (1937–1945)
• J. R. Smith (1945–1948)
• Hoyt Ayers (1948–1957)
• R. B. Knox (1957–1960)
• John Swindle (1960–1970s)
• Oscar Brennan (1993 - 1997)
• Raymond Brooks (1997–2002)
• Dwayne Murray (2002–2007)
• Carl Harper (2007)
• Ivor Brooks (November 13, 2007–)

Stations

• Birmingham Fire Station No. 1, 1807 7th Avenue North, rebuilt in 1971 )Downtown)
• Birmingham Fire Station No. 2, 1900 4th Avenue South (Southside)
• Birmingham Fire Station No. 3, 2210 Highland Avenue, (Highland) Listed on the National Register
• Birmingham Fire Station No. 4, 214 24th Street North, retired. Currently a private office building.
• Birmingham Fire Station No. 5 (Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport)
• Birmingham Fire Station No. 6, 1500 3rd Avenue North, (Downtown) Listed on the National Register
• Birmingham Fire Station No. 7, 437 16th Avenue South (Green Springs)
• Birmingham Fire Station No. 8, 4100 10th Avenue North (East Birmingham)
• Birmingham Fire Station No. 9, 1220 27th Street North (Norwood)
• Birmingham Fire Station No. 10 4120 (2nd Avenue South) (Avondale) Listed on the National Register. Retired 2009. Building disposition undetermined.
• Birmingham Fire Stantion No. 10/22 (2009) 4500 5th Avenue South (Avondale and Clairmont)
• Birmingham Fire Station No. 11, 1250 13th Street North (Fountain Heights), retired, listed on the National Register. Currently in disrepair.
  • Birmingham Fire Station No. 11 (2005) 4601 Bessemer Super Highway (Roosevelt City)
• Birmingham Fire Station No. 12, 115 57th Street South (Woodlawn), retired, listed on the National Register.
  • Birmingham Fire Station No. 12, 6449 1st Avenue North (Woodlawn)
• Birmingham Fire Station No. 13, 2229 30th Avenue North (North Birmingham)
• Birmingham Fire Station No. 14, 535 8th Avenue West (Graymont)
• Birmingham Fire Station No. 15, 1725 Jefferson Avenue (West End), Listed on the National Register (Retired # 15, 1435 Steiner Ave)
• Birmingham Fire Station No. 16, 2001 Avenue I Ensley (Ensley), (Retired #16, 1623 Ave G, Ensley)
• Birmingham Fire Station No. 17, 700 Lexington Street(Wylam) (Retired #17 720 Huron St, Wylam)
• Birmingham Fire Station No. 18, 818 2nd Street (Pratt City)
• Birmingham Fire Station No. 19, 7713 Division Avenue (East Lake) built 1928, Listed on the National Register
• Birmingham Fire Station No. 20, 4825 Avenue W, Ensley (Fairview/Five Points West)
• Birmingham Fire Station No. 21, 109 2nd Avenue North (Elyton) (Retired#21 57 Center Street)
• Birmingham Fire Station No. 22, Retired, 3114 Clairmont Avenue (Forest Park), Listed on the National Register
• Birmingham Fire Station No. 23, 4121 40th Place North (Inglenook)
• Birmingham Fire Station No. 24, 4316 Avenue Q (Central Park)
• Birmingham Fire Station No. 25, 3015 Wilson Road (Powderly/Wenonah) (Retired #25 3136 Jefferson Ave)
• Birmingham Fire Station No. 26, 1700 Montclair Road (Crestline)
• Birmingham Fire Station No. 27, 401 Huffman Road (Roebuck)
• Birmingham Fire Station No. 28 2501 Carson Road (Jefferson State Community College)
• Birmingham Fire Station No. 29 1048 Lawson Road (Airport Hills
• Birmingham Fire Station No. 30 1512 Springville Road (Huffman)
• Birmingham Fire Station No. 31 2478 Alton Road (East Jefferson)
• Birmingham Fire Station No. 32 3995 U.S. Highway 280 South (Highway 280)

Notes

1. (Ward-1909)

References

• Baumgardner, Randy W. Birmingham Fire & Rescue Service: Millennium Edition. (2002) Nashville, Tennessee: Turner Publishing Co. ISBN 1563117002
• Kuhl, Earl D., editor (1934) "Illustrated Souvenir: Birmingham's $3,000,000 Fire, March 10, 1934." Birmingham: Birmingham Firemen's Relief Association. - accessed at Birmingham Public Library Archives Digital Collections, February 22, 2007
• Laughlin, Jerry W. (1972) "The Birmingham Fire Department: The First 100 Years 1872-1972". Birmingham Firefighters Local 117.
• Ward, George B. (May 1, 1909) "How Birmingham Has Grown in Past Four Years." Birmingham Ledger. Reprinted in "Geo. Ward Made a Business Mayor. Geo. Ward Will Make a Business Sheriff. Help Him Win" (1910) Birmingham. Roberts & Son, Printers. - accessed via the Birmingham Public Library Digital Collections

External links

• Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service website
• International Association of Firefighters Birmingham Local 117 website
• Fire station map at Dave's Place (dave911.com)