What's My Engine Company Number?

This article was written by my father "Bob Guildig" and published in the Phoenix Fire Department book "Up From The Ashes" written by Harold Shell in 1986.

What's My Engine Company Number?

Can you imagine coaching a football team when all the players had the same number or no number at all on their jerseys? WELL... before 1969 the Phoenix Fire Department had a lot of fire companies in service with just that problem. Either the same number, the wrong number, or no number at all. You were required to have ESP or something just to be able to identify the companies.

There were times we fire buffs were asked by a captain or chief officer what company was parked a block away from the fire scene. The engine in question was unidentifiable because... Well let me give you a few examples.

Engine Company 1 and 6 were both numbered 6. Engine company 3 and 8 were both numbered 3. At another time Engine company 8 was numbered 34, and Engine company 5 was numbered 12, and at another time 28. Engine company 7 was numbered 4, and so was Engine company 4. Engine Company 14 went in service using a Tanker as their engine but lettered Tanker-Pumper 2. There was a Ladder Company in Phoenix that was lettered Ladder Company 4 on the doors and Truck 2 on the hoods. (It really was Ladder 4).

Can you imagine a "booter" that got assigned to one of the following stations? If he was lucky or maybe if he put a secret mark on the engine he was assigned too, he went home on the right rig because.... Engine Company 9 was numbered 10 and Engine Company 10 was numbered 9 with very similar looking Pirsch pumpers. Part of the problem was solved when the rig of Engine Company 9 was given to Engine Company 10. But when the old rig of Engine Company 10 was repainted and given to Engine Company 15 a new problem developed. Engine Company 12 had a identical rig and both were now in service without any company numbers on the doors.

When Engine Company 9 received a new Van Pelt, the rig was numbered 18 and Engine Company 18 went in service with a twin sister numbered 17. Now Engine Company 17 was lucky they went in service with a new Central rig numbered 17.

Now if this doesn't confuse you, I have a couple more. Engine company 11 was numbered 13 and Engine company 13 was numbered 2 on one side and blank on the other and to top that off both rigs were almost identical. There was also a time when some companies didn't have any numbers. Those being Engine companies 5, 6, 7, 12, 15, 16, 19, 22 and 23. In the early 50's, station 1 ran a Squad company 1 and Engine company 9 ran the old Squad as their engine, BOTH were numbered Squad company 1.

How about a new TV program for the command officers? "What's my Engine Number"?

One last comment. Let's not forget the alarm room. Before 1965 the alarm response cards called for dispatching Ladder Co's 1, 2, 3, and 4. But the in service Ladder Companies were Ladder 1, 4 (2) 9 (4) and 10 (3).

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Truck fire

Today I was heading home from a client, and as I was getting ready to get on the 202 heading west at priest, I looked to the east and saw a column of smoke. I zipped out of the left hand turn lane and headed that way. As I got closer I saw a flatbed truck loaded up with some kind of material that was burning (I later learned it was cardboard). There was a front end loader attempting to dump something on top of the burning debris. and engine 602 behind it. I drove until I found an area north of the freeway where I climbed halfway up a mountain to get pictures. The scanner traffic indicated that there was a large metal box on the front of the truck that had 2 propane tanks in it. There was concern that these would explode until later it was reported by the truck driver that they were empty. I could not stay long as I had to take care of clients for my work. The fire was still burning long after I left. Scanner traffic indicated they were having problems getting enough water on the fire. Eventually a Tempe tanker was dispatched and an engine company may have run a vertical standpipe and hand jacked a line to a fire hydrant below the freeway. About this time I was to far away to hear more. Here are the pics:



Of course the freeway was a parking lot during this whole time.

Humat Valves

I see a lot of searches for pictures of Humat valves that come to my site. So here are two:
Enjoy

Phoenix and Vicinity Fire Frequencies

For anyone who needs them, here are the frequencies and labels for Phoenix and vicinity. If I have them labeled wrong keep it to yourself.

Phx Fire Disp Ch 1 154.1900
Phx Fire Channel 2 154.2500
Phx Fire Channel 3 154.0700
Phx Fire Channel 4 154.2800
Phx Fire Channel 5 153.8300
Phx Fire Channel 6 154.3100
Phx Fire Channel 7 154.1450
Phx Fire Channel 8 153.7700
Phx Fire Channel 9 155.6700
Phx Fire Channel 10 151.3700
Phx Fire Channel 11 154.0250
Phx Fire Channel 12 155.7750
Rural Metro Disp 154.3700
Rural Metro Sim 154.3850
Rural Metro ground 154.4000
Chandler FD BlueDeck 1 154.4300
Chandler FD BlueDeck 2 155.9550
Rural Metro Ch 5 BlueDeck 3 154.4000
Rural Metro Ch 6 BlueDeck 4 153.8600
Mesa Fire 1 BlueDeck 8 154.3400
Mesa Fire 2 BlueDeck 9 154.2350
Mesa Fire 3 BlueDeck 10 153.9500
Buckeye Fire BlueDeck 12 154.0850
Mesa Fire Channel 4 154.2800
Mesa Fire Channel 5 154.0100
Mesa Fire Channel 6 154.1750
Mesa Fire Channel 7 154.2050

Bluedeck 5, 6, and 7 are on police frequencies and rarely used except when staging for police. Blue deck 11 is ???

First Alarm House Fire

At approximately 11:00 I heard on my scanner "Engine 13 is on the scene of a single story residence, with a working fire". I never even heard the actual dispatch call. Since their signal came in loud and clear I knew it had to be close. I jumped in my car and of course went the wrong way (I did not have an address). I went south on 32nd st., luckily I saw the smoke to the east and headed that way. The house in question was a couple houses west of 36th street on Harvard. As I got there the homeowner was being led away by a fireman, the homeowner was covered with soot, and had probably tried to fight the fire or been caught inside. The fire inside the house had already been knocked down and crews were on the roof ventilating.From the way the front of the house looked it must have been ripping.

At one point they pulled a pitbull from the fire, unburned but not breathing. They did not attempt to resuscitate it (I don't blame them). While there I overheard 2 firemen say that they had investigated or had been at this address previously. Here are the rest of the pics.

update: as of 01-08-2008 I drove by the house and the dog was still in the front yard under the blanket.update: as if 16:42 01-08-2008 the dog was moved to the gutter, on the blanket.Update: 01-09-2008 Dog gone.

First Alarm Restaurant Fire

At approximately 15:30 today a call went out for an unknown fire at 32nd st. and Van Buren. Engine 29 responded and reported a working fire in an empty Mexican food restaurant (Formerly a Denny's). A second call went out at 15:35 for a first alarm Working fire. I immediately left the house and headed that way. It took me about 5 to 7 minutes to get there because of rush hour traffic. Thankfully I beat the police to the scene and was able to walk around the restaurant unimpeded. The fire was being fought offensively until about 13:50 when due to fears of a roof collapse the emergency traffic tone was sounded and all firemen evacuated the building.

As the Saying goes "When the ladder goes up,
the building comes down". Well not in this case, at about 16:06 after a few minutes soaking from ladder 11 the firemen again went offensive.
It was about this time I had to leave.

The fire appears to have started in a storage room in the back of the building possibly by "houseless people". Speaking of which, this guy:
was sleeping in the restaurant parking lot and didn't stir until someone woke him up. He then tried to pick a fight with the guy who woke him. Here are the rest of the Pics: