Los Angeles Fire Department Videos III

Here is part III "The Pump Operator"

This video spotlights the use of the "Blake four way valve", and the Gleason Valve".

Los Angeles Fire Department Videos II

Here is part II "Fire Apparatus Steering"

Los Angeles Fire Department Videos I

Several years ago Bob sent me some video's from the late fifties, early sixties. The films were produced by the Los Angeles Fire Department. I converted them to digital and will post them in 4 parts.

Part I
The Driver

House Fire and New Fire Chaser

Today was not a bad day (for us), There were 2 house fires close to my house. One was just a electrical problem in an air conditioner (put out with a fire extinguisher). The second one was an attic fire. We heard the call at about 14:20 and Arrive on scene at around 14:25. Engine 61, Engine 13, Engine 12, Ladder 12, Rescue 12, LT 12, Battalion 6, Battalion 2 and Squad 29 were on scene. Rehab was not needed. The house is on 42nd street north of Campbell. Chris and I were in my truck and our newest fire chaser (on his very first 3-in-1* 1st alarm house fire) was with Mike in his vehicle. The fire was out by 14:40 I have Pics and Video, But first...

Let me introduce our newest Fire Chaser.

Mike's Son
Sean Michael Guildig

Here are the rest of the Pics:



Here is my Video:

Here is Mike's Video:

*3 engines, and 1 Ladder.

Station 3

Another Picture taken in the late fifties, early Sixties. This time it is Phoenix Fire Station 3. The Rig is Engine 3 a 1956 Seagrave 1250 gpm pumper.

Bob can only Identify 2 of the men in the picture:
Second from Left is Captain Lemon Pike Bush (real name), Second from Right is Bell Hesse. Bill Drove Hose 3

Engine 12 Crew

CORRECTION
This is not Engine 6 crew it is Engine 12 taken out in front of old Station 12.
The date this picture was taken in unknown, probably sometime in the early sixties. The Rig is a 1957 Pirsch 1000 gpm pumper.
The crewman are from left to right:
Captain Larry Norton (Best man at Bob's wedding), Bill Yowell, Unknown, and Engineer Gene Adams.

Pumper Practice Using a "Blake Line"

In June of 1971 my dad took some pictures of Engine 1 and Hose 1 practicing laying a line using a Blake Valve. It took me a while to locate where these pictures were taken, because the street is no longer there and the pictures show no street names on the poles. It was on the west side of the 7th st. overpass. Chase field is now at this location.
I was 5 and Kathleen (my sister) was 3. When I scanned these slides in (a year or so ago), they were out of order and somehow I scanned them in twice. I spent a few minutes putting them in order today. I will use the notes Bob sent me for what is going on:

"The rig is Engine 1 a 1952 Mack "L" model with a 1250 gpm pump, a 200 gallon tank and a 935 cid Hall-Scott (The first Hall-Scott in Phoenix) Now owned by retired Fire Chief Alan Brunacini."

"The engine has laid a "Blake" line (similar to a Humat valve but only uses 2 1/2 inch fittings) The rig would stop at a hydrant and the plugman would step off the rig and loop a line around the hydrant-

while the rig would continue to the fire."

"Once on the scene the crew would make "pullbacks" and extend the line into the fire."

"Then the engine would return to the hydrant and connect the hard suction with a 4" to 2 1/2" reducer to the Blake."

"(All the time water would be flowing through the line just like the Humat valve)"

"once the hard suction was hooked up a "short length" of 2 1/2 would be connected between the blake and a pumper 2 1/2 outlet and the blake would be-

"changed over" to turn the hydrant line into a line being pumped by the engine."

"NOTE: using a Blake valve the engine could only supply a max of two 2 1/2 inch lines through the blake valve."

"The Humat has no limit."

"On a large working fire, if an engine laid a Blake line either the plugman was instructed to not use the Blake, the engine would be making a steamer connection (Using a hard suction hose like in the pixs only connected to the steamer port) or once the engine returned to the hydrant it was removed or could be bypassed which took time."

At this time I do not have information as to the identity of the firemen in the pictures.