The Phila Bureau Fire Training School Class of 1940

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December 5, 1940 at Frank Palumbo's Restaurant, Eighth & Catharine, Phila
The Philly Bureau Fire Training School Class of 1940

[BELOW click "View Full Size" & zoom in ALL the way]

Filled near capacity, it's the fifth-most populous city in the nation, and many of those doing the populating do so in nineteenth century-designed and built structures, many of which lace snugly in tight streets and alleyways, teeter on hills.

Summer's onslaught brings underworldly temperatures—heat and humidity partner for strength- and morale-sapping heat indices, making predicting the area's notoriously unpredictable weather worthless.

The two disserve—fireground heat exhaustion, equipment failure, worse.

Winter's wrath couples high winds with freezing temps, ice, snow. Fallen mercury ditches climbing boots and turns a cold blind eye.

City streets double as black diamond ski trails. Feet-long icicles overhang street and sidewalk, threatening death, prompting vigilant travel, on foot, in vehicle. Nature's killing prowess looms, visible, tangible.

In short: Philly’s straw houses and wolves wander.

Further complicating matters: another wolf, the arsonist, the only wolf with a conscience—consciously doing the unconscionable.

According to an article on WHYY's NewsWorks Pennsylvania leads the nation in arson deaths per year with more than 55.

Brotherly, loving, someplace else. Peace of mind someplace there.

And it was the same in 1940—the collective pictured above fought amid the same.

Wearing, using, equipment far less comfortable, effective—protective. Think tinfoil hats, denim jackets.

Among them fought Aloysius Barr of Roxborough.

Braving smoke and flame on paper mache row home roofs. Holding on for dear life in Delaware-sat fireboats. Doing the same about towering Center City skyscrapers. Same still in unfairly tight Manayunk back alleys—Al put his life on the line to protect citizens, to provide for his family, to honor his profession.

And did so for 32 years, never expecting—just doing.

Selflessness personified.

Firefighting at its core.

Class-wide, worldwide. The class:

ARCHIBALD, William, Truck 4
BANKHEAD, John, Engine 20
BARNES, Harry, Engine 52
BARR, Aloysius F., Engine 12
BERNER, Norman, Engine 30
BERRY, James, Engine 6
CAREY, Jr., Howard, Engine 38
COOK, Robert, Truck 20
COSTELLO, Joseph, Truck 22
COYLE, Charles, Truck 11
DORAN, John, Engine 46
DRISCOLL, Jr., James, Engine 43
DUFFY, Jr. Edward, Engine 57
DUGAN, William, Engine 12
ECKLES, William, Engine 43
FIX, Jack, Engine 14
FLANNAGAN, Thomas, Engine 17
GALLAGHER, Edward, P.L. 1
GOMMEL, Albert, Engine 52
GOODMAN, Isadore, Engine 46
GREGOR, George, Truck 15
GRUMM, Leonard, Engine 4
HARKINS, John, Engine 29
HASSETT, Charles, Truck 29
HOFFMAN, Morris, Engine 22
HOLLAND, Charles, Engine 16
JOFFE, Maxwell, P.L. 2
KITCHEN, John, Truck 22
KNOWLES, Nicholas, Engine 29
KRESS, Ralph, Engine 2
LEACH, John, Truck 20
LEONARD, John, Engine 57
LISOVITCH, John, Truck 4
LYNCH, Arthur, Engine 57
MAWHINNEY, Wilson, Engine 50
McKERNAN, James, Engine 63
McNALLY, John, Engine 67
O'BRIEN, William, Engine 47
O'DRAIN, Howard, Engine 2
O'NEILL, Charles, Engine 53
OSUCH, Leon, Engine 2
POOLE, William, Engine 40
REEVES, David, Engine 58
RIENISH, Lester, Engine 41
RISSAKOW, Morris, Engine 27
ROTOLONI, Emo, Engine 29
SENDERLING, George, Engine 45
SCHRIVER, George, Engine 14
SLOAN, James, Truck 12
STECKER, Henry, Truck 13
STRUBE, William, Engine 23
SWENK, Shuman, Engine 1
TRACEY, Joseph F., Engine 53
UHLL, William, Engine 45
VAN HORN, Raymond, Engine 67
VOGENBERG, Frank, Engine 45
WANINGER, George, Engine 29
WISNIEWSKI, Thomas, Truck 4
ZORR, Carl, Engine 33

Instructor: Chief Ferrier
Assistants: BC Bull; Capt. Garner; Capt. Graef; Lieut. Farley; Lieut. Kiney; Lieut. Price

More on Barr:
http://community.fireengineering.com/photo/photo/next?context=user&id=1219672%3APhoto%3A644180

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