Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire Centennial

March 25, 2011 marks the 100th anniversary of what Time Magazine editor at large, David Von Drehle, called "the fire that changed America."  Von Drehle is not all that hyperbolic given the changes in American politics that had their origin in lower Manhattan that day when 146 factory workers died in a fire that was over in a half hour. Many of the changes in the fire service date from that fire also, including the establishment of a fire prevention bureau in FDNY for the first time in 1912, but only following the resignation of FDNY Chief Edward Croker (read the whole story at pipenozzle.com).  Chief Croker had bucked Tammany Hall for years trying to get fire safety improvements in New York City with no luck because the business community resisted changes and went so far as to accuse Chief Croker of taking kickbacks from sprinkler companies. 

Croker spent the rest of his life promoting fire safety after he resigned from FDNY. We remember the past to prepared to the present and future, and I think many in the fire service will be surprised at how similar fireground operations were on March 25, 1911 to current operations. I won't take up space going into all the details here, but would encourage firefighters to read the account of fireground operations at the Triangle fire at pipenozzle.com and comment here.  First due FDNY companies that day were 33, 72, and 18.  33 arrived 90 seconds after the street box was transmitted at 4:45pm that afternoon.