Where firefighters come to talk training
often overlooked part of the fire service
I am a huge history buff, and am intrigued by ours as a whole. I have one main point of intrest that frankly im not even sure where to look. Horses of the fire service. stories of and such.. I love listening to stories from older members whos fathers have told them of old retired fire horses breaking free from carts at market or fences in pastures to join their "family" at the scene. Horses wich were out of the fire service for years. They also told me of how the horses were able to smell the smoke and usualy didnt even need to be steered to the call. Stories of this absolutly intrigue me. Thes forgoten heroes of the fire service even brought us our most significant icon, the delmation wich was a fantastic friend and guard of these wonderfull creatures.
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Jim Maloney on -
I am a Firefighter in a small career department in a college town in Upstate NY. Our "Old Timer" stories include stories of retired fire service horses. When Fire service horses were "retired" they we often donated to or purchased by the milk or coal delivery companies. For fun the on duty firefighters would set off the siren as one of the retire-ees would come by on its route, to watch the horse bolt, wagon and all on its "fire" run.
-
Permalink Reply by Shawn Tibbitts on -
Thats funny. thanks for the story
Jim Maloney said:I am a Firefighter in a small career department in a college town in Upstate NY. Our "Old Timer" stories include stories of retired fire service horses. When Fire service horses were "retired" they we often donated to or purchased by the milk or coal delivery companies. For fun the on duty firefighters would set off the siren as one of the retire-ees would come by on its route, to watch the horse bolt, wagon and all on its "fire" run.
-
Permalink Reply by Brandon Pickler on -
My Dept has a web page with some history on it if you want to look at that. Its http://www.wichita.gov/CityOffices/Fire/History/
There is a couple of storys about old time horses that would break free and run over to the fire scene and about sometimes they would break out of the fire barn if they didnt get hooked up in time
-
Permalink Reply by Brian Rowe on -
I personally do not have any stories I can share with you, but if you ever find yourself in Charleston SC, make sure you pay a visit to CFD "Central Station" @ Meeting & Wentworth Streets. It is a very old house and is historically significant to the days of horse drawn wagons. They have quite a bit of antique equipment on display as well as the "ruts" in the bay floors - which I have been told were in place to give the horses more traction. All of the brothers at that station will give you a fantastic tour of their home!
A Message From Bobby Halton
We are excited to have you participate in our discussions and interactive forums. Before you begin posting, please take a moment to read our policy page HERE.
Badge
Fire Engineering Features
NFPA 1403 Live-Fire Evolutions at Fire Service Training Centers
Live fire training is an essential part of a firefighter's education, but there are significant differences between training at gas-fired versus non-gas-fired structures. Mike Gurr takes a closer look.Fire Engineering University: Online Continuing Education for Firefighters
Fire Engineering University is changing the way fire service professionals approach continuing education. Our goal is to provide you with relevant, topical educational content that is easily accessible. For a full listing of courses with descriptions, credits, and fees, go to www.fireengineeringuniversity.com.New Vehicle Extrication: 2010 Lexus HS250h
The first compact hybrid luxury sedan, this hybrid only model contains several unique features, including numerous air bags. Jason Emery reviews considerations for vehicle rescue operations.© 2009 Created by fireeng
