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On Memorial Day this coming Monday, please join us in remembering World War I veteran and Distinguished Service Cross Award recipient Charles R. Reilley, in battle roughly 99 years ago. 33 years later, he became Chief of the Marin County Fire Department, following the very difficult first decade of their existence, which our new Part III covers. Part I told the story of Charlie's family history and early life, and Part II was focused on his service in the U.S. Army in Europe in World War I, where he was recognized for "...extraordinary heroism..." A hero in war, and many years later a quiet hero who overcame serious challenges, including the Marin County Board of Supervisors considering outsourcing County fire protection in unincorporated areas to the California Department of Forestry. This was considered in part to save money, and in greater part because of major problems in MCFD. Read about these events now in Part III of Charlie's story. The final Part IV later this year will cover his service as Fire Chief from 1951-1962, and a huge retirement dinner held in San Rafael for Charlie, with roughly 300 attending. May he rest in peace.  On a beautiful day that would feature the San Rafael St. Raphael's Mission parade on May 21, 1950, a spark from a worker using a paint sander ignited a pool of solvent, creating what San Rafael Fire Commissioner Walter Castro later described as a "roaring hell." Two firefighters died in the line of duty fighting the fire inside the Mar Vista Motors shop at 812 Fourth St. The roof collapsed in a very hot fire, and both Aubrey Miller and William Bottini were trapped and fatally injured. Later this week we'll be publishing the story of another large commercial fire in San Rafael two months earlier in 1950, where a roof also collapsed and two firefighters were injured. Thankfully their injuries were not serious. A photo from that fire was published across the nation through the Associated Press release. This fire has been forgotten, like so many in the history of Marin County, but thanks to the Marin Fire History project sponsored by the Marin County Fire Chiefs Association, it will now be remembered. Each month we are discovering and indexing more major fires in Marin history. Please join us this week in remembering William Bottini and Aubrey Miller, and may they rest in peace. Click below to go to the page with the stories, photos, and video of the fatal fire that includes footage of the roof collapsing.
"Life is divided into three terms - that which was, which is, and which will be. Let us learn from the past to profit by the present, and from the present, to live better in the future." - William Wordsworth Our 53rd annual installation dinner was held on March 18th in Greenbrae at Jason's Restaurant, featuring a program about the shootings in the City of San Bernardino on December 2, 2015. Thanks go to former San Bernardino City Fire Chief Tom Hanneman and Nurse Educator/EMS Coordinator Carly Crews for volunteering to come north to present this program. The Marin County Fire Chiefs Association was formed in 1964. Installation dinners became an annual event each year, for the purpose of installing new officers and recognizing outgoing ones. Jason's in Greenbrae is adjacent to Corte Madera Creek and the Highway 101 Greenbrae interchange. It has been the location for the dinner the past few years. Previous locations have included among others Deer Park Villa in Fairfax, Sam's in Tiburon, and the Alta Mira in Sausalito. Click below to go to the page on the dinner, including many photos.  Former City of San Bernardino Fire Chief Tom Hanneman presented a detailed overview of the shootings and lessons learned by emergency responders with former SBFD Nurse Educator/EMS Coordinator Carly Crews. Firefighters love competition, and one of the enduring sporting events that evolved over the history of the fire service was hose cart racing. These events started in the 1800's in America, and continue to this day in firefighter musters. These races were often part of larger community events that might have also included competition with fire ladders, hand pumpers, and foot races between FD's. The earliest examples of hose cart races in Marin and the North Bay Area can be found in the late 1800's. The oldest fire departments were the first competitors, including San Rafael (1874 formation), Sausalito (started circa 1893), Larkspur (started circa 1897), and San Anselmo (started circa 1900). To the north, the Petaluma FD (formed1857) and Healdsburg FD (formed circa 1858) often competed with the Marin and other fire departments in the region. Think about that as far as communicating, planning, and logistics. Overcoming obstacles like few paved roads, no freeways, no cars or trucks, using railroad cars to transport the hose carts, and telephone service existing in only the early phases. To see there was competition spanning wide geographical areas is really amazing. Thanks to retired Larkspur Chief William "Bill" Lellis for this great story on our local races, published under our Competition & Sports section.  The annual Marin County Fire Chiefs Association Installation Dinner is coming up on March 18 at Jason's in Greenbrae. What are the roots of this tradition? In our case we can track the annual dinners back to the Marin County Association of Fire Departments, originally formed in 1929 and lasting until 1963. This group held annual dinners to install new officers, and to thank and recognize those who had served the Association in the previous year. The Marin County Fire Chiefs Association was formed when this group ended in 1963, and has continued the tradition. In parallel over the past 100+ years, many fire departments would also hold installation dinners for their volunteer and/or employee associations. While the numbers have never been tracked, we believe these types of gatherings have been less in overall number over the past couple of decades, and falling. The reasons are many, including fewer fire associations in existence, and the greatly reduced number of volunteer firefighters in many communities. More career positions have been filled over the years, and it's now very common for those members to live out of the County, especially given the high cost of housing in Marin. This can reduce participation in social events outside of work. Regardless, having a transitional ceremony, while gathering for a meal as a group, remains a key to having an effective volunteer group. Yes, the Marin County Fire Chiefs Association is voluntary and a 501(c)3, not a public agency. Participation is voluntary, including this 'no-host' dinner event. Forming good relationships is part of good leadership, and getting 'good things done' with these types of groups, and that's hard to do in formal meetings, or over Facebook, Twitter, or e-mail communications. Having an occasional meal and social event can go a long way in this regard. The ceremony of the 'changing of the guard' is also a welcome reminder of duties and obligations. Today's events are much simpler affairs compared to the 'old days.' Read about the installation dinner for the MCAFDs held in 1955 as an example in this weeks new content, published as an addition to the MCAFDs page. Imagine it's in the early years of the Great Depression in America, in 1931. Your volunteer fire department needs a new fire house, but the town can't begin to afford it. A town vote is held on funding the building, and they can't afford it. Do you just give up? Not for the successful businessmen who were the Corte Madera Volunteer Fire Department, Ltd. Following the tradition of many good firefighters, they persisted, improvised, adapted and overcame when faced with these obstacles. "Let's finance and build it ourselves!" became the rallying cry. It included three apparatus bays, an assembly hall, and offices they would rent to the Town for the Police Chief and Town Clerk. They'd also lease the land to the Town for an initial 15 year period. Several years later, they had a new fire house still in use today as the Corte Madera Town Hall, over 86 years later. As the old saying goes, it was "...built like a brick s___house!..." and is still strong today. Read all about it and watch a wonderful short 5-minute silent film of the fire house under construction in 1931. We did set up a 'bed' of old music. See the last run from the original fire house with a 1916 Chevrolet Pope Hartford chemical engine, and the first run from the new one with a 1928 American La France pumper. The is the oldest existing film clip of the Marin County fire service that we've found so far.  Many fire departments throughout Marin and across the country have had residential firefighter programs at some point in their history, also known as "sleepers." The basic deal was free rent with shared kitchen and bath, a bed, locker, and perhaps a dresser, in exchange for training and responding as a volunteer or paid call firefighter. Sometimes you also were required to work some shifts. These programs most likely peaked in the 1950's-70's in Marin, given the post-World War II boom and growth, and then declined with the eventual hiring of many more career firefighters. The 'free rent' part was very helpful to many young firefighters, especially if they were going to college or trying to get hired in the fire service. A great deal of hands-on experience could be gained in a shorter amount of time, since you were typically there most days and nights. The situation also presented the opportunity to learn how to get along with others, pitch in with chores, and stay clean and organized in a somewhat cramped environment. Those that could not learn those lessons typically did not last very long in these programs. Today, most of these programs no longer exist in Marin for many reasons, including a reduced need in the urban areas given many more career employees, and a lack of space. For some FD's, bad experiences with some personalities and unresolved conflicts led to the decision to stop offering the arrangement. This week we take an insider's look at one local program, from the perspective of one time sleeper and now retired Larkspur Chief Bill Lellis. Thanks to Bill for this contribution to our history project.  A young Bill Lellis 'hams it up' for a photograph following some training burns at the old Hutchinsons Quarry in the late 1970's, removing structures to make way for the Larkspur Landing development. "The Greatest Forest Fire in Marin County History" Over 117 years ago in July, 1899, a forest fire burned in the Baltimore/Madrone Canyon in Larkspur, and across the southern flanks of Mt Tamalpais. Then, ten years later, the area burned again, in 1909. According to the San Francisco Call newspaper, the William Kent Estate was "menaced" by the 1909 fire, but saved by over 100 firefighters. The headline of this paragraph is from their feature on the 1899 fire, and the entire text is published on the fire page under Major Fires>Wildland>1889 and also 1909. Was it the 'greatest forest fire' ever? Not really, but it felt like this at the time, according to the reporter. Fighting a forest fire back then was quite different than today. Wet burlap sacks anyone? Read all about both fires starting with the one in 1899, by clicking the button below.  Yesterday, January 2, marks the 39th anniversary of the fire and accident that killed responding Larkspur Fireman Jim Niven. Please join us in remembering Jim, and may he rest in peace. We invite you to read about this accident through the memories of several people who were directly involved, including some new information from the scene of the fire. Tonight we have added the story of how the fire began, and how it was reported, along with the initial actions taken at the scene. This story is shared thanks to Shirley Walker, the Registered Nurse in charge that day at the facility. It only recently came to our attention. Read also how the old wisdom of "it's a smalll world" comes true again, in this case with Shirley's family connections in emergency services, in New Jersey, and then in Marin, and San Francisco. Shirley's story is at the end of the page, scroll down if you've read the earlier accounts.  The Reverend Dan White, a longtime and second generation Larkspur volunteer, leading the dedication of the Jim Niven Park in Greenbrae in the early 1990's, adjacent to the newly rebuilt Larkspur Station 16. Jim's widow Lorraine Niven is pictured second from left. To her left is then-Larkspur Fire Chief Miles Julihn, now head of the Marin County Emergency Medical Services Department. Then Deputy Chief Doug Archer is in the middle in, and Dan White to the right. Dan is the brother of long-time San Rafael FD Captain Skip White, now retired, and the Uncle of current Novato FPD Captain Steve White. This week we are sharing the start of a biography on long-time Kentfield Fire Protection District Chief Kenneth "Kenny" Kamp. All of our biographies are meant to be improved over time, with the help of the larger fire service community, and this one is no exception. We hope that the feature will prompt the sharing of additional photos, memories, and stories about Kenny. Kenny's career spanned multiple eras in the fire service, from the 1950's into the 1990's. From using open cab fire engines with wood ladders, to sophisticated modern engines with fully enclosed cabs and features like hydraulic ladder racks. From painting fire engines red, shifting to yellow paint, and then back to red. From having no college fire education programs, to helping develop a full Associates Degree in Fire Science just down the street from the Kentfield fire station, at College of Marin. "He was an all-around good guy," said retired Tiburon Fire Chief Frank Buscher, also now deceased. We give thanks for contributions to Paul Smith, KFD Chief retired, Jim Galli, KFD BC retired, Ken Massucco, Marin County FD Chief, retired; Bob Marcucci, retired San Rafael Chief, and Bob Souza, Tamalpais Valley FPD Chief, retired. Kenny's story can be found under the More>Biographies menu, or by clicking below.  Hard to imagine there was once a huge codfish processing plant in Belvedere. Not only was the facility part of a thriving business for decades, but it burned twice, with the final fire in 1937 bringing the end of the plant and an era. Homes were developed on the site along the bay a few years later, leaving no signs of the once thriving business. Ever thought about codfish? Did you know that it was one of the most important fish to the development of North America? Were the fish caught locally? No, they were always caught up near the Aleutian Islands. The plant was opened and operated by the Union Fish Company in 1872. The Union Fish Company is still in business today - 152 years old and counting. Read all about the fire in this weeks posting under Major Fires, Structure Fires, 1917 and 1937.  If you were to visit the small town of Tomales today, it would be hard to imagine a large fire. The very rural area is right next to the Pacific Ocean, and is often cool and wet, and covered in fog. The Marin County Fire Department operates a full-time staffed fire station here, supplemented by the Tomales Volunteer Fire Company. Unfortunately, as happened in so many communities across America long ago, the reality of unprotected wood construction, the lack of a fire water supply, and having no organized fire protection, often led to disastrous fires. At some point the community usually makes a decision to improve their fire protection. In the example of Tomales, an entire business block burned on November 12, 1898. It was later rebuilt, and thrived. Then, about 21 years later, almost the entire town burned up. At some point, the fire protection was improved, both stories for another day. We do have placeholder pages for the history of the Tomales Fire Department, today's Tomales Volunteer Fire Company (some photos posted), and the 1920 fire, but have not completed the stories yet. You can read about the 1898 fire by clicking below. We thought starting with the oldest fire was best, and now we'll work forward.  "History cannot give us a program for the future, but it can give us a fuller understanding of ourselves. and of our common humanity, so that we can better face the future." - Robert Penn Warren We are going to guess that most of the current generation of firefighters serving in Marin County have never heard of the Homestead Valley Fire District. Some would not even know where the unincorporated Homestead Valley area is located. Read about this former department under our Departments>Former>Homestead Valley page, in what starts to tell the story of their birth, life, and eventual merger into the Tamalpais Fire Protection District. We'll later add to this account, and tell the story of Tamalpais FPD. These two departments are part of the foundation of five departments that eventually consolidated into the Southern Marin Fire Protection District that exists today. Thanks to retired Sonoma County DES Chief and former Tamalpais Valley member Tim Exline, to retired Southern Marin FPD Chief Jim Irving, and to long-time Homestead Valley resident Chuck Oldenburg of the Mill Valley Historical Society for their help with this.  This week we are publishing the history of the Ross, California Fire Department. They were one of the oldest fire departments in Marin, formed in 1908, and merged into the Ross Valley Fire Protection District as of 2012. They were a very innovative department for a very small town in 1908, with a population of only about 500 people. They acquired one of the first motorized chemical fire apparatus on the West Coast in 1910, and certainly the first in Marin County. The oldest and largest department in Marin, the San Rafael FD, visited Ross in 1910 to consider their own eventual purchase of something motorized. The department also employed one of the earliest paid fireman to drive the new chemical apparatus. For most of it's history it was primarily a volunteer FD, active, proud, and effective at a very low cost to the community. Read the start of what will be expanded on soon under the Departments>Former>Ross FD menu, or by clicking below.  From the Marin Journal, December 22, 1910 We've discovered yet another death in the line of duty (LODD) in the Marin County fire service. A Ross volunteer fireman was killed while fighting a fire at a home in 1914. Aristid Papadimetrion was an immigrant from Greece who was a Ross volunteer fireman and also a member of the California National Guard. He had started using the name of Harry or Henry George (newspaper articles differ) - it was common for immigrants to change their names to assimilate into the American culture. We don't know yet if this was an official name change but will continue research. The phrase "Never Forget" is common is today's fire service. Unfortunately without any methodology to preserve the memories it only takes a few generations of change to forget. That's one of the main reasons we are doing the Marin Fire History project - what we as a fire service have forgotten will now be remembered and recognized. Is this case the very sad death of a young fireman in Ross while fighting a fire. Read the newspaper accounts by clicking the button below or by going to our Line of Duty Deaths menu.  Emigrants boarding small boats in Patras, Greece, on their way to the steamship that will take them to America in 1910. (Library of Congress) If young firefighters were asked to guess where in Marin County fire equipment had been manufactured long ago, they would probably say in San Rafael, possibly Novato, or somewhere along the Highway 101 corridor. The small and very affluent Town of Ross would probably not come to mind. Fire Sirens and nozzles were manufactured, sold, and installed across America by this firm for many years. With thanks to Louis Soldavini, Chiefs Bill Lellis and Bob Marcucci, and Videographer Dan White, this week we are sharing the story of the C.A.M. Manufacturing Company of Ross. "I am so glad I met and interviewed this Gentleman," said Bill. Louis Soldavini is 100 years old this year, and "...sharp as a tack...", said Bill. Learn more about his history and the history of C.A.M. now.  A Larkspur fire truck with a siren made by C.A.M. Manufacturing Company of Ross. Less than two years after a devastating fire in Sausalito, two national fire service leaders came to town to speak about fire prevention. Their presentation included several fire-related films to cap off the evening, and this week we are sharing one of the films. Remember that films and the ability to project them had only been around for about 20 years, and sound in films would not be included for about five years after this night. "The Garage" starred Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, and includes scenes of Fatty playing a fire chief and pulling a hose cart to a fire. One can imagine the same type of scene playing out in Marin County in the early 1900's. As an example, we have also published the story from the Mill Valley Record of "Quite a Serious Fire" in Corte Madera in 1913, when several homes burned down. At that time most of the fire departments only had hose carts and hand tools, and very limited water systems if any at all.  This week we start to tell the story of the massive and devastating fires throughout California during the week of September 17th. Over one thousand homes lost, including 30 out of the 35 in Woodacre, and over 600 in Berkeley. The main contributing factors were the north and northeasterly winds, very low humidity (5% at Noon in Berkeley on the 17th), and high temperatures. It was one of the largest fires in the history of Marin County, where a smoldering fire in Ignacio was kicked up by strong north winds, running over Big Rock Ridge into the Lucas and Nicasio Valleys, over Loma Alta into Woodacre, around Forest Knolls and Lagunitas, and over the Bolinas Ridge to Bolinas. Several entire towns were destroyed at the same time elsewhere in California, including in Sonoma County with Boyes Springs, and in El Dorado in El Dorado County. Petaluma and Ukiah were surrounded by fire, large fires in Trinity County, Placer County, Fresno County, Santa Barbara County, and more. We will be adding to this page over time with more research. For now read a detailed account of the Marin fire, and watch old films taken of the Berkeley conflagration. We have also posted a review of the fire weather that was written by a local meteorologist a few weeks after the fires.  Today we are publishing the story of the transition from horse or man-drawn fire equipment to motorized engines in Marin County. The story is told in the larger context of the transition within the fire service at large. Thanks to retired Larkspur Chief William "Bill" Lellis for this interesting feature. At the time of the transitions in the early 1900's, the population in Marin County was very small but growing, due in large part to relocations from the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire. Roughly 15,000 people called Marin home in 1900, only 6% of what it is today. As a result, Marin fire departments never had any steam fire engines or 'hand tubs' in use, also known as 'hand engines'. Only hose carts and wagons were in use by the time the first motorized engines came on the scene. However, there were fire departments around the San Francisco Bay, such as in San Francisco, Oakland, and Santa Rosa, that have did have hand engines and/or steamer engines, and therefore underwent a more complex transition. Read all about it by going to the More menu>Historical Fire Apparatus>The Transition to Motorized Apparatus, or by clicking on the button below.  Today we have published Part II of Marin County Fire Chief Charles R. Reilly's biography. He fought in World War I and earned a Distinguished Service Cross for "Extraordinary Heroism." This is the man who would later save the very young Marin County FD in the 1950's from being taken over by the California Department of Forestry. Reilley served as an Engineer in the 316th Engineering Battalion of the 91st U.S. Army Division. Trench warfare, poison gas, newly improved machine guns, constant artillery bombardment, attacks from aircraft and balloons, and the newly developed tanks were just some of the technological improvements that created horrible conditions in what was known as "The War to End All Wars." Join us as we do a brief review of the war and Charlie's service. Reilley was not the only member of the Marin County fire service to serve in World War I. We will eventually feature others, including Larkspur's Mert Bain, who fought with the 362nd Infantry, also in the 91st Division. The biography is located under the More menu>Special Recognition and Award Recipients>Reilley, Charles R. (Jr.) Chief Marin County FD.  Veterans of World War I parading down 5th Avenue in New York City on Sept. 10, 1919. The parade was held to honor General John J. Pershing and an estimated 25,000 soldiers from the American Expeditionary Force, almost one year after the official end to the war. |
AuthorOur Blog announces new site content, and gives the context of the topic and it's relationship to fire service history. Written by Bill Lellis & Paul Smith Archives
August 2022
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