Classic Fire Department Photos

[Okla-homey]

really cool stuff.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/webextra/content/2008/slideshows/tfd/index.aspx

[sooner n houston]

I remember several of those. The semi hanging oer the Arkansas river bridge was one of the strangest. I was visiting my parents and happened to drive by there!

[StoopTroup]

Don't guess they'll rename the The BOK Center the Avey Colliseum. lol

[Okla-homey]

Don't guess they'll rename the The BOK Center the Avey Colliseum. lol

Allegedly, back in the day that place rocked.

[StoopTroup]

Wonder if the Fire Capt in shot 16 is Gailard Sartain's Father?

http://www.mazeppa.com/gailard1.GIF

[StoopTroup]

Great Stuff Homey.........Thanks!

[soonerboomer93]

good stuff, thanks homey

[Tulsa_Fireman]

The history is long, distinguished, and proud. Words can't convey the honor in following the footsteps of a bunch of asskicking individuals. Fun facts to follow up a wonderful piece of visual history. Thanks, Homey.

The Tulsa Fire Department was the first fully mechanized department west of the Mississippi river. There's a picture (along with many of those shown in the slideshow) at Station 25, my little corner of the world, that depicts a train of horses strung together to get ready to be loaded on a traincar to Kansas City. Rumor has it that the department's members raised such a stink about selling off the bunch that they raised a fistful of cash to purchase the lot from the City and set them to pasture to enjoy the rest of their days beyond the bell on sweet grass.

Speaking of horses, the "drop" as it's coined in the fire service, where via the radio, an alert tone sounds and activates all the lights and automatically raises the doors to indicate a call has been received, comes from a system back in the horsedrawn days where in a similar fashion, the doors would open and the harnesses of the horses would "drop" on ropes to the horses waiting below. So experienced and expecting, the stock would actually do most of the work, even so far as toeing up and setting the yoke before the firemen themselves would.

The Tulsa Fire Department is the first department in the state of Oklahoma to receive international accreditation as a department through standards of response time, minimum staffing, and services provided (and others that escape me). If memory serves, Tulsa also stands as one of the first ten cities in the United States to receive this honor.

The Tulsa Fire Department is an integral and essential part of Tulsa enjoying a top five ranking in cardiac saves across the nation. This is measured not in recaptured cardiac rhythm on scene (which can be and is common), but in actual survival rates from pre-hospital care to discharge from an advanced medical care facility, what most folks call a hospital. In other words, if you plan on your ticker crappin' out, do it in Tulsa.

An interesting perspective comes from the picture where in the caption it lists 6683 runs made in 1973. As per the Annual Action Report for fiscal year 2006-2007, the number of runs made by the Tulsa Fire Department has increased almost tenfold to over 54,000 runs with staffing levels VERY similar to those maintained by city leaders in 1973. The interesting aspect to that statistic however is the fact that while emergency medical service runs have increased to astounding amounts, fires have remained consistent with Tulsa experiencing roughly 2400 actual fires in this fiscal year, consistent with averages from years past. Fire related deaths have plummeted over the past three decades from an average of roughly 20 deaths per year to an average of approximately two over this current decade. Per fire injuries and deaths match this trend.

Speaking of runs, the Tulsa Fire Department enjoys the honor of having the busiest fire company in Oklahoma, Engine 27, which experienced over 4300 calls last year. To give perspective, this is a whopping 1000 runs busier than St. Louis, Missouri's busiest company.

All in a day's work. Thanks again, Homey.

[olevetonahill]

Tulsa fireman
I salut you and your Bros . as an ex cop and a Nam vet
I can honestly say Id rather be in a firefight as to Fight Fires :eek: