Marin County Fire History
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    • Former >
      • Alto FD
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      • Corte Madera Volunteer Fire Department Ltd.
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      • San Geronimo Valley VFD
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      • Terra Linda FD
      • Tiburon Naval Net Depot FD
      • Tomales VFD
  • Blog
  • Videos & LIVE! Stream
  • Line of Duty Deaths
    • 1909 S.J. Frooman Died Fighting Jute Mill Fire
    • 1914 Fireman Aristid Papadimetrion Ross VFD
    • 1924 Fire Chief Walter A. Cook, Sausalito FD
    • 1932 Fire Warden Clarence C. Grimm, Tamalpais Forest Fire District
    • 1936 Captain Robert A. "Bert" Meagor, San Anselmo FD
    • 1937 Fireman Louis H. Hewelcke, San Rafael FD
    • 1948 Fire Chief Samuel L. Mazza, Marin County FD
    • 1950 Fireman Aubrey E. "Jack" Miller, San Rafael FD
    • 1950 Fireman William "Sonny" Bottini Jr., San Rafael FD
    • 1958 Battalion Chief David A. Coutts, San Rafael FD
    • 1960 Cheda, Virgilio San Rafael FD Fire Marshal
    • 1961 Fireman Paul Hogancamp Marin County FD
    • 1961 Fireman Frank Kinsler, Alto Fire District
    • 1962 Fireman Thomas James Sutton Jr., Marinwood FD
    • 1967 Lake Keeper Raymond Paul Halderman, MMWD
    • 1969 Fire Chief George J. Cavallero, Novato FPD
    • 1970 Assistant Fire Chief Samuel J. Blumenberg, Hamilton Air Force Base FD
    • 1978 Fireman James Niven, Larkspur FD
    • 1980 - William Marsh, San Rafael FD
    • 2003 Firefighter Steven Rucker, Novato FPD
    • 2006 Paramedic and Captain Robert Paoli, Marinwood FD
    • 2008 Deputy Chief Jeff Powers, Southern Marin FPD
  • Major Fires, Incidents
    • Structure Fires >
      • 1875 Saucelito House Fire, in Sausalito
      • 1876 Structure Fire San Quentin Prison
      • 1884 Steamer Sausalito Ship Fire San Quentin
      • 1885 Tocaloma Hotel Tocaloma
      • 1890 Tiburon Burns Down
      • 1893 Sausalito Stables Fire
      • 1893 Sausalito Downtown Fire
      • 1893 San Rafael Buildings Burn
      • 1894 Larkspur Inn Burned Down
      • 1898 Tomales Downtown Burns
      • 1907 Original Muir Woods Inn
      • 1907 San Anselmo Structures
      • 1908 Lagunitas Country Club Fire in Ross
      • 1909 Jute Mill Fire, San Quentin Prison
      • 1910 Corte Madera Homes Burned
      • 1910 Rossi's Villa Fire San Anselmo
      • 1911 Pastori's in Fairfax
      • 1913 Robert Dollar School Fire San Anselmo
      • 1913 Muir Woods Inn
      • 1913 Corte Madera Structure Fires
      • 1914 Town of Ross Structure Fires
      • 1915 Warehouse Fire San Rafael
      • 1915 B Street Fire, San Rafael
      • 1916 Samuel P. Taylor Paper Mill Fire
      • 1916 Tocaloma Hotel Fire
      • 1917 Belvedere Union Fish Plant
      • 1918 E.K. Woods Lumber Company San Anselmo
      • 1919 St Raphael's Church
      • 1920 The Great Tomales Fire
      • 1920 Madden Shipyards Fire Sausalito
      • 1920 St. Francis Club, Kentfield
      • 1921 Tiburon, NWPRR Machine Shops
      • 1921 Tiburon Main Street Fire
      • 1923 Tavern of Tamalpais Burns Down
      • 1923 Mason Distillery Fire Sausalito
      • 1924 Shriner's Lodge San Rafael
      • 1926 Alta Mira Villa Fire, Sausalito
      • 1928 Rafael Hotel Fire
      • 1929 Tam O'Shanter Inn Corte Madera
      • 1929 Larkspur Nursery Explosion & Fire
      • 1929 Hotel Rossi Fairfax
      • 1929 Red Mill Inn, San Quentin
      • 1934 St. Cecilia's Church, San Geronimo
      • 1937 Belvedere, Union Fish Company Cod Plant
      • 1937 Orpheus Theater San Rafael
      • 1940 Hotel Nicasio Burns Down
      • 1940 Christiansen Lumber Mill San Rafael
      • 1945 Pini Building Novato
      • 1946 Crockett Warehouse Fire
      • 1949 Bath House Fire San Rafael
      • 1950 Marin Storage & Trucking Company Fire San Rafael
      • 1950 Mar Vista Motors San Rafael
      • 1951 Food Bank Fire, Larkspur
      • 1951 Jute Mill Fire, San Quentin Prison
      • 1952 San Rafael Building & Plumbing Fire
      • 1952 Little Heating & Sheet Metal San Anselmo
      • 1952 Jocko's Hotel Nicasio
      • 1955 Bleu Baie Tavern, Marshall
      • 1955 Lodge Fire San Rafael
      • 1956 Olema Fatality Fire - Three Children
      • 1957 Hotaling Mansion Fire San Anselmo
      • 1957 Fourth St. Fire San Rafael
      • 1958 Simmons Building Downtown Novato
      • 1958 Bellach Furniture Fire San Rafael
      • 1960 Shipyards Fire Sausalito
      • 1960 O'Neill and Logan Fire
      • 1961 Puerto Suello Tunnel
      • 1963 College of Marin Gymnasium Kentfield
      • 1963 American Distilling Company Fire in Sausalito
      • 1964 Duplex Fires Tiburon FPD
      • 1969 Novato Olompali Mansion Burns
      • 1969 San Rafael Tire & Brake
      • 1971 Court House Fires, San Rafael
      • 1975 New Joes Fire, Corte Madera
      • 1976 Peter Donahue Building Fire Tiburon
      • 1977 Lumber Yard Fire Novato
      • 1990 Dominican Convent Fire SR
      • 2008 Upland Fire, Corte Madera
    • Wildfires >
      • 1800's >
        • 1852 Marin County Wildfires
        • 1859 Mt. Tamalpais Fire, Mill Valley
        • 1865 Forest Fire Bolinas Bay Woods
        • 1878 Nicasio Wildfire
        • 1881 Forest Fire Blithedale Canyon Mill Valley
        • 1889 Forest Fire Corte Madera
        • 1890 Forest Fire San Rafael to Bolinas
        • 1891 Forest Fire Bill Williams Gulch
        • 1892 Wildfire Bolinas Road
        • 1893 Forest Fire Mill Valley and Mt. Tam
        • 1894 Forest Fire Mill Valley
        • 1899 Corte Madera, Mill Valley, Larkspur Wildfire
      • 1904 Forest Fire Bolinas Ridge
      • 1909 Larkspur Forest Fire
      • 1913 Mt. Tamalpais, Larkspur, and Muir Woods Fire
      • 1917 Inverness Ridge Wildfire
      • 1919 Muir Woods and Mt. Tam
      • 1919 Sausalito Hills
      • 1923 Wildfires including Ignacio to Bolinas Ridge, Fairfax
      • 1926 Tamalpais Fires
      • 1928 Wildfire Fort Barry
      • 1929 The Great Mill Valley Fire
      • 1932 Shafter Ranch Fire West Marin
      • 1932 Thanksgiving Day Wildfire, Near Alpine Club
      • 1936 Bolinas Ridge Wildfire
      • 1943 Bald Hill Fire Ross Valley
      • 1945 The Mill Fire, Carson Canyon
      • 1947 Corte Madera Wildfire
      • 1949 Ignacio Big Rock Ridge Wildfire
      • 1953 St. Vincents Marinwood
      • 1953 Sausalito, Wildfire
      • 1954 Guide Dogs for the Blind Terra Linda MCFD
      • 1958 Black Canyon San Rafael Wildfire
      • 1959 Kent Canyon, Brazil Ranch Wildfire
      • 1964 Hanly Fire, Sonoma County Mutual Aid
      • 1965 Muir Woods Wildfire
      • 1965 Chileno Valley Wildfire
      • 1966 Marincello Wildfire, Southern Marin Headlands
      • 1967 Bald Hill Fire, Ross
      • 1969 - Red Hill Fire, San Anselmo
      • 1972 Angel Island State Park
      • 1972 Kent Woodlands, October 9
      • 1976 Sorich Park Wildfire San Rafael
      • 1991 The Oakland Fire Mutual Aid
      • 1995 Mount Vision Fire Inverness
      • 2008 Angel Island Wildfire
    • Storms and Weather
    • Accidents and Rescues
    • Hazardous Materials Incidents
  • Special Recognition & Award Recipients
    • Bain, Mert, Fireman Larkspur Fire Department
    • Bent, Edward W. State Fire Training
    • Coleman, Ronny J. State Fire Marshal, retired
    • Dufficy, Dr. Rafael Jr. San Rafael FD
    • Marcucci, Robert, Chief San Rafael FD, retired
    • McLaren, Richard Evans, Chief San Anselmo FD
    • Massucco, Ken, Chief Marin County FD
    • Nelson, Ron, Lieutenant, Larkspur FD
    • Reilley, Charles R. (Jr.) Chief Marin County FD
    • Selby, Norman, "Kid McCoy" Fire Chief San Quentin
    • Wedemeyer, Arthur E. (Jr.), US Marine Corps, Larkspur FD
    • Wilson, Irwin "Willie" , Engineer Larkspur FD
  • Biographies
    • Corte Madera FD Biographies >
      • Childress, John Corte Madera FD Captain/Medic
      • Ferguson, Joseph Stanley - CMVFD Ltd., Artist, Cartoonist
      • Forster, Jack William, Corte Madera Volunteer FD Ltd.
      • Kelly, Harold - Assistant Chief, Corte Madera VFD Ltd.
      • Larson, Lee Assistant Fire Chief Corte Madera FD
      • Moreno, Anthony "Tony" Corte Madera VFD
      • Nelson, Franklin Lars - Chief Corte Madera VFD Ltd.
      • Nelson, William Corte Madera VFD
      • Ralston, Bud Corte Madera FD
      • Salarpi, Larry Corte Madera FD
      • Walker, James Corte Madera VFD
    • Kentfield FPD Biographies >
      • Kamp, Kenny - Chief Kentfield FPD
      • Mariani, Guido Kentfield FPD Asst. Chief
      • Mariani, Robert - Chief Kentfield FPD
      • Ruhland, Fred Kentfield FPD
    • Larkspur Fire Department Biographies >
      • Archer, Douglas - Deputy Chief Larkspur FD, retired, Historian
      • Bartram, George Larkspur FD Chief
      • Doherty, Dolph - Chief, Larkspur FD
      • Lellis, William - Chief, Larkspur FD retired, Photographer & Historian
      • Nelson, Rudolph "Rudy", Filmmaker
      • Raggio, John Fire Chief, Larkspur FD
      • Shurtz, Craig Larkspur FD Chief
      • Wedemeyer, Arthur Edward Sr., Filmmaker, Pilot, Mayor
    • Marin County FD Biographies >
      • Bloom, Louis - Chief, Marin County FD
      • De la Montanya, Lloyd - Chief, Marin County FD
      • Jennings, Greg , Senior Captain Marin County FD retired, Historian
      • Martin, Pete - Captain, Marin County FD, retired, Historian
      • Meuser, Brian Marin County FD
      • Nunes, Clarence Marin County FD
      • Rowan, Stan - Chief, Marin County FD, retired
      • Selfridge, James - Deputy Chief, Marin County FD, retired
    • Mill Valley FD Biographies >
      • Davidson, Jeff Mill Valley Chief
    • Novato Fire District Biographies >
      • Bacon, Harold A. "Tony", Captain, Novato FPD retired
      • Berthinier, James - Chief, Novato FPD, retired
      • Meston, Jeff, Chief Novato FPD, retired
      • Rentz, John - Chief, Novato FPD, retired
    • San Anselmo FD Biographies >
      • Beedle, Robert San Anselmo FD Chief
      • Cartwright, Charles San Anselmo FD
      • Marcucci, Marty Battalion Chief Ross Valley FPD, retired
      • Marcucci, Nello Fire Chief San Anselmo FD
      • Meagor, Linda Louise San Anselmo FD
      • Sousa, Frank Chief, San Anselmo FD
    • San Rafael Fire Biographies >
      • Castro, Walter San Rafael FD
      • Diego, John San Rafael FD
      • Daniels, Charles I., Jr. (Chuck)
      • Johansen, Clarence Fritz San Rafael FD Chief
      • Johansen, Martin San Rafael FD Chief
      • Martin, Bruce - San Rafael FD Chief
      • Mizroch, Dr. Stephen, M.D. - SR Fire Commissioner, Historian & Collector
      • Scheuer, Fred J. San Rafael FD Chief
      • Schneider, D.N. San Rafael FD Chief
      • Williams, John - Captain, San Rafael FD, retired, Historian
    • Sausalito FD Biographies >
      • Bogel, Steve - Chief, Sausalito FD
      • Bunker, Fred - Division Chief Sausalito FD, retired.
      • Pedersen, Swede Sausalito FD
      • Perry, Matts Sausalito FD
      • Poole, Gene Sausalito and San Rafael FD's
      • Quayle, Robert - Chief, Sausalito FD
    • Tiburon FPD Biographies >
      • Rappole Bliss, Rosemary - Chief, Tiburon FPD
      • Buscher, Franklin - Chief, Tiburon FPD
    • Barrows, Richard "Dick", Chief State OES
    • Drady, Harold "Spike" Nicasio VFD Chief
    • Gardner, Edwiin B. Tamalpais Forest Fire District
    • Goodson, Carl - Battalion Chief, Santa Rosa FD, retired.
    • Hensley, William J. Tamalpais Forest Fire District
    • Heynen, Carl Otto, Jr. Alto Richardson Bay FD
    • Kobseff, Nicolas 'Nick' Chief Nicasio VFD
    • Livingston, Dewey - West Marin Historian
    • McMurray, Bill Marin County Communications, MCSO
    • Mersereau, Laurence "Bunk" - Chief, Belvedere FD
    • Rogers, Art - Photographer
    • Souza, Robert - Chief, Tamalpais FPD
    • White, Dan - Ambulance Company Owner, Businessman & Videographer
  • Current Fire Service Associations
    • California Fire Chiefs Association
    • California State Firefighters Association
    • Retired Fire Service Groups
    • Fire Safe Marin
    • Fire Training Officers Section MCFCA
    • Fire Prevention Officers Section MCFCA >
      • Fire Investigation Team
    • International Association of Fire Chiefs
    • Marin County Fire Chiefs Association >
      • 2017 Installation Dinner
      • 2018 Installation Dinner Ignacio
      • Perpetual Leadership Award Recipients
    • Marin Office of Emergency Services
    • Northern California Fire Prevention Officers, CFCA
    • Northern California Fire Training Officers, CFCA
    • Operation Chiefs Section MCFCA
    • Sonoma County Fire Chiefs Association
  • Former Fire Service Associations
    • Larkspur FD Ladies Auxiliary
    • Lucas Valley Volunteer Fire Association
    • Marin County Association of Fire Departments
    • Marin County Association of FD's Ladies Auxiliary
    • Marin Sonoma Fire Training Officers Association
    • Pacific Coast Association of Fire Chiefs
    • Redwood Empire Tri-County Fireman's Association
    • Redwood Fire and Protective Association
    • Stockmens Protective Association
    • Tamalpais Forestry Association
  • Competitions, Sports, and Events
    • Baseball & Softball Teams
    • Chili Cookoffs
    • Football Team
    • Hose Cart Racing
    • Larkspur Fire Muster 1978-1984
    • Oregon & Nevada Musters
    • California Fire Musters
    • Water Fights
    • 4th of July Fireworks Displays
  • National Fire Heritage Center
  • Emergency Medical Services
    • Annual EMS Survivors Dinner
  • The Hazardous Materials Team
  • College Fire Science and Technology Programs
    • Santa Rosa Junior College
    • College of Marin
  • Residential "Sleeper" Programs at FD's
    • Corte Madera FD Sleeper Program
    • Kentfield FPD Sleeper Program
    • Ross Fire Department Sleeper Program
    • Tiburon Fire Protection District Sleeper Program
  • History of California State Fire Training
  • Marin County Fire Training
  • Fire Water Systems
  • Communications Systems, Radios, MERA
  • Urban Search & Rescue Team (USAR)
  • Tamalpais Fire Crew
  • Sanborn Fire Maps
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • National Fire History, Related
    • The 10 Standard Firefighting Orders, Origin
  • Fire Apparatus & Equipment
    • C.A.M. Manufacturing & Louis P. Soldavini
    • The Transition to Motorized Apparatus
    • Historical List of Apparatus For Marin County
    • 1850 Austrian Hand Pumper, Larkspur FD
    • 1916 Ford Model T Chemical Engine Larkspur
    • 1922 Stutz Fire Pumper San Rafael
    • 1923 American La France Pumper, Mill Valley FD
    • 1923 Ford Model T, Novato FD
    • 1927 American La France Pumper, Kentfield
    • 1929 Seagrave Pumper, Fairfax FD







​Chief Norman Selby
​San Quentin FD

Boxing, Murder, and Firefighting, Oh My!
The story of Norman Selby, also known as Charles "Kid" McCoy.

Researched and written by William "Bill" Lellis, Chief Larkspur Fire Department, retired.

There have been many outstanding fire chiefs in the history of the Marin County Fire Service whose stories could fill volumns of print. Their names are often etched on brass plates that adorn wooden plaques on our fire station walls. These include Chiefs Dan Schneider of San Rafael, Nello Marcucci of San Anselmo, Charles Reilley of Marin County FD, and Leslie Armager of Mill Valley, just to name a few.
 
This is the story of the most famous and notorious fire chief to ever serve in Marin County. World Champion and Hall of Fame boxer Norman Selby became better known as “Charles ‘Kid’ McCoy.” Selby was born in 1872 in the small town of Moscow, Indiana, one of five children. At the age of thirteen, Norman ran away from the farm and began to ride the freight trains of middle America. Some say he developed his pugilistic skills by beating up hobos he met riding the rails.
 
At the age of eighteen, Norman Selby became a professional fighter, and changed his name to Charles McCoy, which he allegedly acquired from a burlesque number featuring exploits of safecrackers, ‘Kid’ McCoy and Spike Hennessey. His first boxing fight was in 1891, when he was only nineteen years old. Six years later in London, England, he would win the world championship in the middleweight divison by knocking out a South African by the name of Dan Creedon.

McCoy never defended the title, choosing to abandon the crown to pursue the world heavyweight championship. Despite his handicap in size, McCoy battled the best heavyweights of his era, and defeated Joe Choynski, Gus Ruhlin, and Peter Maher. Later Tom Sharkey and “Gentleman Jim" Corbett defeated him. The Corbett fight was the subject of controversy, as the ending was suspect and Corbett's estranged wife claimed the bout was fixed.
 
McCoy had become famous for his cork-screw punch, in those days the normal boxing position was the hands up in the puglistic position. As he threw his punch he would twist his wrist just on impact to the opponents jaw to form the cork screw blow (see Figure 2). According to McCoy, he learned the punch one evening while resting in someone's barn after a day of riding the rails. He noticed a cat strike at a ball of string and imitated its actions (see Figure 2A). Whether true or not, McCoy was known as a fast, "scientific" fighter who would cut his opponents with sharp blows.

Some writers of the day referred to McCoy as the “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” of the boxing ring. For a bare-knuckles fight, he once wrapped his hands in friction tape to better cut his opponent’s face. Another time he rubbed his gloves with ammonia, which soon ended up in his rival’s eyes. Before he fought “Sailor” Tom Sharkey, he kidnapped the heavyweight’s sparring partner and pressured him for a scouting report. And then there was the time he fought a deaf boxer, the Kid mouthed the words that the bell had just rung and pointed him to his corner. When the guy turned, McCoy knocked him out.

While McCoy was on a tour of Australia and some Pacific Isles, he took on ‘all comers’ to supplement his income.
In one fight, McCoy, who weighed 160 pounds, agreed to box a huge native weighing more than 250 pounds.
​He had watched the native practice and noted he fought in his bare feet. When the fight began, McCoy's manager threw handfuls of tacks into the ring, causing the bare-footed challenger to drop his guard and raise up one foot. As soon as he did so, McCoy punched out his distracted adversary.
 
In the late 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, the only way the public learned about events of the day was through their daily newspapers. On many newspapers he would appear on the front pages talking about his fists and fights. Having his image on a card issued by a cigarette company back then was 100 percent free publicity (see Figure 3). 
 
His nine marriages included a pair of well-known actresses and more than one rich widow. “I could always fight the men,” he once said, “but not the women.” While in Europe on a fight tour, McCoy and a group of boxing friends got too close to the fighting at the German front lines during WW I. One boxer was killed and four were injured. While on his way back to America after two successful defenses of his title, he was arrested on charges of grand larceny by the Belgium goverment. 
 
McCoy was alleged to have stolen $250,000 worth of jewelry belonging to the Belgian princess. His friends maintained he was innocent and that it was a case of mistaken identity. He was later released, and returned to the United States. Following his boxing career, McCoy entered the service of his country. Some accounts say he served with the National Guard along the Mexican border and as a recruiter, while other accounts have him in the Army as a boxing instructor.
 
He had an outstanding boxing record of 81 wins (55 by knockout, with six losses, nine no decisions, and six disqualifications.) He was knocked out only four times, once by “Gentleman Jim” Corbet. His last fight was in 1916, after a 25-year boxing career. McCoy was listed # 1 Light Heavyweight of all time in Fifty Years At Ringside, published in 1958. Also known as a formidable puncher, he was included in Ring Magazine's list of the 100 greatest punchers of all time. Many years later a young boxer named Cassius Clay from Louisville, Kentucky, would use the corkscrew punch to win the world heavyweight boxing championship in 1964.
 
Trying to make a living after boxing, McCoy tried his hand in numerous professions - opening and quickly closing a jewelry store on Broadway, owning a saloon, being a private detective, and selling cars. He then worked his way to Southern California and Hollywood, and the Hollywood crowd adored him. He appeared in nineteen films, mostly playing bit roles as the bad guy in silent movies. He helped coach Charley Chaplin on how to box for a movie in 1924 (see Figure 4).
 
He was charged with fraud when he was associated with a oil stock scandal when he allowed his name to be used. Like all celebrities he liked fast cars - he was brought into court for speeding on Wiltshire Boulevard, where he was clocked going 33 mph!  When his star began to fade in the 1920's, the Kid fell on hard times. His fortune gone after eight divorces, McCoy, then 51, filed for bankruptcy, and real trouble started when he had an affair with an attractive married woman in her late 30's who was filing for divorce.
 
Her name was Mrs. Theresa Mors, and her husband Albert was a wealthy antiques dealer in Hollywood. She moved in with McCoy. Her friends Sam and Ann Schapp, who owned a dress shop next to the Mors antique store, apparently told her that McCoy was a bum. On Aug. 12th, 1924, McCoy came home drunk. When Theresa told him what her friends thought of him and that she was going back to her husband, the Kid knocked her teeth out, stabbed her and shot her in the head. McCoy drank all night and, by the next morning, wanted to kill Albert Mors too.
 
Mors wasn't at his shop when McCoy got there, so he kept eleven people hostage while he waited. He ordered three men to take off their pants to discourage escape. One tried to escape, and McCoy shot him in the leg. Another hostage was a nineteen-year-old named Frances, soon to be married. McCoy gathered up the hostages' money, giving $300 to Frances as a wedding gift. She later returned the money to its owners.
 
Albert Mors never arrived at the shop, reportedly he was getting a haircut and afterwards his new Cadillac wouldn't start, effectively saving his life. Frustrated by the wait, McCoy went in search of the Schnapps who had called him a bum. He shot and wounded them before driving off at high speed, but the police caught him.
 
Upon questioning, McCoy claimed Therese Mors had committed suicide. He was tried and convicted by a very aggressive District Attorney named Asa Keys. McCoy was convicted of several charges -  manslaughter with a sentence of ten years, assault to commit murder for seven years, robbery for seven years, and assault with a deadly weapon for six years. The first three sentences were to run consecutively for a total of twenty-four years.
 
So on April 11th, 1925, the former champion entered the gates of the State penitentiary at San Quentin as an inmate. He was assigned to work in the infamous Jute Mill. The Mill was a large building filled with weaving machines to make burlap bags for the farmers of the San Joaquin Valley. Each inmate was required to produce 100 yards of material every day. The mill ran around the clock, and the work was known as a terrible job – very noisy and dusty.
 
In January of 1909, a fire in the Jute Mill took the life of prisoner and fireman S.J. Frooman, Marin’s first firefighter fatality in the line of duty. Frooman was buried with honors in San Rafael, California by the prison guards, who took up a collection to make it happen. See the line of duty death section on our history site for more on this story.
 
Dr. Jekyll emerges
 
The Kid was just another inmate, but the others all knew who he was and they gave him all the space he needed. Almost every day Norman would receive packages of sweets and letters, some with money, from around the world. The “who’s who” of Hollywood would come to the prison by ferry to visit him, including celebrities such as Al Jolson, Sophy Tucker, and Lionel Barrymore.
 
The Kid took his assignment at the Mill and never complained, producing his daily quantity of burlap every day. By all reports he was an ideal prisoner, with a spotless record according to prison officials. Due to the hard conditions at the Mill, inmates would take any other job at the prison if the opportunity presented itself. San Quentin was about to create chain gangs to work the highways and roads of California, and when asked if he wanted to work on one McCoy jumped at the chance to get out of the Jute Mill.
 
The chain gang that he served on was working on the roads near San Simeon in central California when a single engine plane crashed into the hillside nearby. Without hesitation, the Kid ran to the crash site and rescued the pilot from the plane, saving his life. When the gang returned to the confines of San Quentin the warden and his staff recognized his heroic action by offering him the job of being the Information Officer (tour guide) for all new inmates.
 
This included showing new inmates how things worked in general at the prison, where to go and not to go, and to not be late for chow. On December 18th, 1930 Asa Keys, the Los Angeles District Attorney who had prosecuted him, was brought in as an inmate in San Quentin after a conviction of bribery. The Kid was his tour guide and introduced Keys to the prison.

​If citizens wished a tour of the prison, who better to show them but the world famous Kid McCoy? But at the end of his day he was still a prisoner, returning to his small concrete cell measuring four feet wide, ten feet deep, and seven feet high.
 
The parole of a prisoner named Thomas Ryan would open up one of the most cherished jobs at the institution, that of being a prison fireman. As such the Kid would live just outside the maximum security walls, in the basement of the administration building. His duties would be taking care of the boilers, and maintaining the prison fire hydrants and extinguishers.

He would not be locked in a cell and would sleep on a regular bed, and was free to walk about the grounds. McCoy would not have to eat his meals with the “Main Line”, with food instead brought to him by a fellow convict. He would dine alone, but was a semi-free man.
 
On November 10th, 1928 it was reported that Kid McCoy was appointed Fire Chief by Warden James B. Holohan (1927-1936) of the State prison at San Quentin. His new fire helmet read in gold letters “Chief S.Q.F.D.” The warden was very proud to have Kid McCoy in his prison; it was a good subject to talk about at any civic meeting. For example, on Oct. 18, 1929 the following article appeared in the Sausalito News:
 
Sausalito News, Number 42, 18 October 1929
“FIREMEN MEET TONIGHT
The Marin County Association of Fire Departments will hold its regular monthly meeting at California Park tonight at 8 o’clock. Special features have been arranged with the mayors of the various towns as invited guests. Warden Holohan of San Quentin will talk on the prison fire fighting organization of which "Kid” McCoy is the chief.”
 
As the San Quentin Fire Chief, McCoy had some large fire protection challenges. He was basically in charge of fire protection for a small town at the edges of San Francisco Bay. This included the protection of over 4,000 prisoners, and the nearby housing that the prison staff and their families lived in along with a school.
 
Under the leadership of Warden Holohan, Chief Selby took over control of the very modern prison fire department. There was a new two-story double bay firehouse (see Figure 5), along with a REO fire truck. The San Quentin REO was a combination pumper and chemical wagon. The large brass tank that sat behind the seat was a 44-gallon soda and acid tank. The driver upon arrival would turn a large handle, which in turn broke an acid bottle mixing with the soda water, creating pressure for a stream. Underneath the seat was a positive pressure 300gpm rotary gear pump. The truck had over 1,000 feet of fire hose.
 
Ransom Eli Olds founded what would later become the Oldsmobile Company. However, Olds left the company and form a new one, using his first initials to form REO (see Figure 6). His trucks were called "SpeedWagons", first introduced in 1915.

REO was one of the best-known manufacturers of commercial vehicles prior to World War II. The SpeedWagon was manufactured in a variety of configurations to serve as delivery, tow, dump, and fire trucks, as well as hearses and ambulances. Decades later, the rock and roll band REO Speedwagon took its name from this vehicle.
 
Another fire truck, a Ford, was also centrally located near the water front, manned by a fireman at night, and in the day time, by men from the garage. In 1930 Chief Selby took possession of a new American La France, Type 199 (see Figure 7).
 
Throughout the prison there were forty-five fire ‘plugs’, or hydrants, half of them outside the walls, and the rest within. Located at strategic points, as in each room, and upon each floor of the Shops Buildings, was a firehose reel attached to the plugs, ready for action. In such a manner over fifty-seven hundred feet of firehose was distributed around and above the insititution.
 
The greatest fire hazards then were the Shops Building, the Hospital, and the Jute Mill. By law every building had to be inspected yearly. The Mill alone had experienced two major structure fires before Chief Selby took office, including the one where S.J. Frooman was killed. 
 
On November 10th, 1929 Chief Selby’s fire skills would be tested when the historic Red Mill Inn, located just 300 feet outside the prison main gate, was ablaze. The chief had twenty convict firefighters under his command, along with help from the San Rafael FD. Armed guards stood by to assure no one attemped to escape. The fire started on the second floor of the Inn. Barrels of oil used for the service station exploded, nearly taking out a number of firefighters.
 
The construction of the Inn was heavy timber, which were at risk of collapsing on the firefighters. A drafting operation was set up, and hose was laid from the edge of the bay waters across the highway to the fireground, but they could not save the Inn. A number of private boats tied up under the Inn were also destroyed. A primary exposure was the terminus of the San Rafael to Richmond ferry system, back before the Richmond San Rafael Bridge existed.
 
Small grass fires that started around the hillside were quickly brought under control by the prison firefighters. The mill was once part of the original Baltimore Saw Mill that cut lumber up in the Baltimore Canyon in Larkspur, providing lumber that helped build San Francisco.
 
During his entire time in prison, world famous people would petition the Wardens and the Governor to pardon the Kid, including celebrities such as Vice President of the United States Charles Curtis, General Douglas MacArthur, Henry Ford, and World Champion boxer Gentleman Jim Corbet to name a few.

Selby went before the parole board but did not get approved because he had no job to go to once released. Henry Ford, upon learning of this situation, stepped up and told the board The Kid had a job waiting as Athletic Director at the Ford plants in Detroit (see Figure 8).
 
So on July 20th, 1932, Prisoner and Fire Chief Norman Selby was paroled after serving six years. Fame would once more touch the Kid. Three years  later he witnessed a boat overturned on Lake Michigan with seven family members aboard. The Kid rushed into the water, like he had years ago on the grounds of San Simeon, and rescued five children, repeatedly diving to pull each child to safety. The parents did not survive. For his action, the state of Michigan wanted to bestow on him a medal of bravery, but he refused the honor.
 
McCoy had remarried former wife Sue Cowley on August 3rd, 1937. They lived a low-key life, until he rented a room at the Hotel Tuller on August 18th, 1940. The next morning the desk clerk found him dead in the room, an empty bottle of sleeping pills next to him, $17.78 in his pockets and a suicide note nearby.

McCoy ended the note with the line: “To all my dear friends … sorry I could not endure this world’s madness.” He went out as he had come in, signing it Norman Selby. Later it was discovered the 66-year old had been working on an autobiography titled “Life Jabs Back.”
 
He left the world as he came into it - as Norman Selby, but in between he lived his life as boxer Charles "Kid" McCoy. In the boxing ring, he was clever, devious, a notorious cheater and his flamboyance that could rival the best in professional wrestling. His challenges, however, were out of the ring – mainly with women. Between his eight and ninth wife, he had murdered his girlfriend.
 
In 1991 the World Boxing Council elected him in to Boxing Hall of Fame. I would like to remember him as Dr. Jekyll, the man who saved a pilot and pulled five kids out of Lake Michigan, and also fought many fires without regard for his own safety.

So as the “Kid”, Norman Selby has passed into Marin County’s fire history (Figure 9).  In probably his most comfortable role, that of prison mentor and elder confidante, he had once warned a young convict:

 
"Remember that the bright lights go out the quickest. Kid McCoy knows."
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Figure 1, Norman Selby becomes the boxer "Kid McCoy".
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Figure 2, the cork screw blow.
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Figure 2A - The corkscrew punch.
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Norman's signature.
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Kid McCoy pictured in street clothes and the ring in 1900, as published in the Boston Globe.
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Figure 3.
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Figure 4 - Kid McCoy (kneeling) trained Charlie Chaplin to box for a movie in 1924.
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San Quentin Prison in the 1920's.
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The Jute Mill.
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Inside the Jute Mill.
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Figure 5, the new San Quentin Fire House.
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Figure 6.
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Norman Selby on the right and his parole officer.
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Kid McCoy's Funeral.
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  • Line of Duty Deaths
    • 1909 S.J. Frooman Died Fighting Jute Mill Fire
    • 1914 Fireman Aristid Papadimetrion Ross VFD
    • 1924 Fire Chief Walter A. Cook, Sausalito FD
    • 1932 Fire Warden Clarence C. Grimm, Tamalpais Forest Fire District
    • 1936 Captain Robert A. "Bert" Meagor, San Anselmo FD
    • 1937 Fireman Louis H. Hewelcke, San Rafael FD
    • 1948 Fire Chief Samuel L. Mazza, Marin County FD
    • 1950 Fireman Aubrey E. "Jack" Miller, San Rafael FD
    • 1950 Fireman William "Sonny" Bottini Jr., San Rafael FD
    • 1958 Battalion Chief David A. Coutts, San Rafael FD
    • 1960 Cheda, Virgilio San Rafael FD Fire Marshal
    • 1961 Fireman Paul Hogancamp Marin County FD
    • 1961 Fireman Frank Kinsler, Alto Fire District
    • 1962 Fireman Thomas James Sutton Jr., Marinwood FD
    • 1967 Lake Keeper Raymond Paul Halderman, MMWD
    • 1969 Fire Chief George J. Cavallero, Novato FPD
    • 1970 Assistant Fire Chief Samuel J. Blumenberg, Hamilton Air Force Base FD
    • 1978 Fireman James Niven, Larkspur FD
    • 1980 - William Marsh, San Rafael FD
    • 2003 Firefighter Steven Rucker, Novato FPD
    • 2006 Paramedic and Captain Robert Paoli, Marinwood FD
    • 2008 Deputy Chief Jeff Powers, Southern Marin FPD
  • Major Fires, Incidents
    • Structure Fires >
      • 1875 Saucelito House Fire, in Sausalito
      • 1876 Structure Fire San Quentin Prison
      • 1884 Steamer Sausalito Ship Fire San Quentin
      • 1885 Tocaloma Hotel Tocaloma
      • 1890 Tiburon Burns Down
      • 1893 Sausalito Stables Fire
      • 1893 Sausalito Downtown Fire
      • 1893 San Rafael Buildings Burn
      • 1894 Larkspur Inn Burned Down
      • 1898 Tomales Downtown Burns
      • 1907 Original Muir Woods Inn
      • 1907 San Anselmo Structures
      • 1908 Lagunitas Country Club Fire in Ross
      • 1909 Jute Mill Fire, San Quentin Prison
      • 1910 Corte Madera Homes Burned
      • 1910 Rossi's Villa Fire San Anselmo
      • 1911 Pastori's in Fairfax
      • 1913 Robert Dollar School Fire San Anselmo
      • 1913 Muir Woods Inn
      • 1913 Corte Madera Structure Fires
      • 1914 Town of Ross Structure Fires
      • 1915 Warehouse Fire San Rafael
      • 1915 B Street Fire, San Rafael
      • 1916 Samuel P. Taylor Paper Mill Fire
      • 1916 Tocaloma Hotel Fire
      • 1917 Belvedere Union Fish Plant
      • 1918 E.K. Woods Lumber Company San Anselmo
      • 1919 St Raphael's Church
      • 1920 The Great Tomales Fire
      • 1920 Madden Shipyards Fire Sausalito
      • 1920 St. Francis Club, Kentfield
      • 1921 Tiburon, NWPRR Machine Shops
      • 1921 Tiburon Main Street Fire
      • 1923 Tavern of Tamalpais Burns Down
      • 1923 Mason Distillery Fire Sausalito
      • 1924 Shriner's Lodge San Rafael
      • 1926 Alta Mira Villa Fire, Sausalito
      • 1928 Rafael Hotel Fire
      • 1929 Tam O'Shanter Inn Corte Madera
      • 1929 Larkspur Nursery Explosion & Fire
      • 1929 Hotel Rossi Fairfax
      • 1929 Red Mill Inn, San Quentin
      • 1934 St. Cecilia's Church, San Geronimo
      • 1937 Belvedere, Union Fish Company Cod Plant
      • 1937 Orpheus Theater San Rafael
      • 1940 Hotel Nicasio Burns Down
      • 1940 Christiansen Lumber Mill San Rafael
      • 1945 Pini Building Novato
      • 1946 Crockett Warehouse Fire
      • 1949 Bath House Fire San Rafael
      • 1950 Marin Storage & Trucking Company Fire San Rafael
      • 1950 Mar Vista Motors San Rafael
      • 1951 Food Bank Fire, Larkspur
      • 1951 Jute Mill Fire, San Quentin Prison
      • 1952 San Rafael Building & Plumbing Fire
      • 1952 Little Heating & Sheet Metal San Anselmo
      • 1952 Jocko's Hotel Nicasio
      • 1955 Bleu Baie Tavern, Marshall
      • 1955 Lodge Fire San Rafael
      • 1956 Olema Fatality Fire - Three Children
      • 1957 Hotaling Mansion Fire San Anselmo
      • 1957 Fourth St. Fire San Rafael
      • 1958 Simmons Building Downtown Novato
      • 1958 Bellach Furniture Fire San Rafael
      • 1960 Shipyards Fire Sausalito
      • 1960 O'Neill and Logan Fire
      • 1961 Puerto Suello Tunnel
      • 1963 College of Marin Gymnasium Kentfield
      • 1963 American Distilling Company Fire in Sausalito
      • 1964 Duplex Fires Tiburon FPD
      • 1969 Novato Olompali Mansion Burns
      • 1969 San Rafael Tire & Brake
      • 1971 Court House Fires, San Rafael
      • 1975 New Joes Fire, Corte Madera
      • 1976 Peter Donahue Building Fire Tiburon
      • 1977 Lumber Yard Fire Novato
      • 1990 Dominican Convent Fire SR
      • 2008 Upland Fire, Corte Madera
    • Wildfires >
      • 1800's >
        • 1852 Marin County Wildfires
        • 1859 Mt. Tamalpais Fire, Mill Valley
        • 1865 Forest Fire Bolinas Bay Woods
        • 1878 Nicasio Wildfire
        • 1881 Forest Fire Blithedale Canyon Mill Valley
        • 1889 Forest Fire Corte Madera
        • 1890 Forest Fire San Rafael to Bolinas
        • 1891 Forest Fire Bill Williams Gulch
        • 1892 Wildfire Bolinas Road
        • 1893 Forest Fire Mill Valley and Mt. Tam
        • 1894 Forest Fire Mill Valley
        • 1899 Corte Madera, Mill Valley, Larkspur Wildfire
      • 1904 Forest Fire Bolinas Ridge
      • 1909 Larkspur Forest Fire
      • 1913 Mt. Tamalpais, Larkspur, and Muir Woods Fire
      • 1917 Inverness Ridge Wildfire
      • 1919 Muir Woods and Mt. Tam
      • 1919 Sausalito Hills
      • 1923 Wildfires including Ignacio to Bolinas Ridge, Fairfax
      • 1926 Tamalpais Fires
      • 1928 Wildfire Fort Barry
      • 1929 The Great Mill Valley Fire
      • 1932 Shafter Ranch Fire West Marin
      • 1932 Thanksgiving Day Wildfire, Near Alpine Club
      • 1936 Bolinas Ridge Wildfire
      • 1943 Bald Hill Fire Ross Valley
      • 1945 The Mill Fire, Carson Canyon
      • 1947 Corte Madera Wildfire
      • 1949 Ignacio Big Rock Ridge Wildfire
      • 1953 St. Vincents Marinwood
      • 1953 Sausalito, Wildfire
      • 1954 Guide Dogs for the Blind Terra Linda MCFD
      • 1958 Black Canyon San Rafael Wildfire
      • 1959 Kent Canyon, Brazil Ranch Wildfire
      • 1964 Hanly Fire, Sonoma County Mutual Aid
      • 1965 Muir Woods Wildfire
      • 1965 Chileno Valley Wildfire
      • 1966 Marincello Wildfire, Southern Marin Headlands
      • 1967 Bald Hill Fire, Ross
      • 1969 - Red Hill Fire, San Anselmo
      • 1972 Angel Island State Park
      • 1972 Kent Woodlands, October 9
      • 1976 Sorich Park Wildfire San Rafael
      • 1991 The Oakland Fire Mutual Aid
      • 1995 Mount Vision Fire Inverness
      • 2008 Angel Island Wildfire
    • Storms and Weather
    • Accidents and Rescues
    • Hazardous Materials Incidents
  • Special Recognition & Award Recipients
    • Bain, Mert, Fireman Larkspur Fire Department
    • Bent, Edward W. State Fire Training
    • Coleman, Ronny J. State Fire Marshal, retired
    • Dufficy, Dr. Rafael Jr. San Rafael FD
    • Marcucci, Robert, Chief San Rafael FD, retired
    • McLaren, Richard Evans, Chief San Anselmo FD
    • Massucco, Ken, Chief Marin County FD
    • Nelson, Ron, Lieutenant, Larkspur FD
    • Reilley, Charles R. (Jr.) Chief Marin County FD
    • Selby, Norman, "Kid McCoy" Fire Chief San Quentin
    • Wedemeyer, Arthur E. (Jr.), US Marine Corps, Larkspur FD
    • Wilson, Irwin "Willie" , Engineer Larkspur FD
  • Biographies
    • Corte Madera FD Biographies >
      • Childress, John Corte Madera FD Captain/Medic
      • Ferguson, Joseph Stanley - CMVFD Ltd., Artist, Cartoonist
      • Forster, Jack William, Corte Madera Volunteer FD Ltd.
      • Kelly, Harold - Assistant Chief, Corte Madera VFD Ltd.
      • Larson, Lee Assistant Fire Chief Corte Madera FD
      • Moreno, Anthony "Tony" Corte Madera VFD
      • Nelson, Franklin Lars - Chief Corte Madera VFD Ltd.
      • Nelson, William Corte Madera VFD
      • Ralston, Bud Corte Madera FD
      • Salarpi, Larry Corte Madera FD
      • Walker, James Corte Madera VFD
    • Kentfield FPD Biographies >
      • Kamp, Kenny - Chief Kentfield FPD
      • Mariani, Guido Kentfield FPD Asst. Chief
      • Mariani, Robert - Chief Kentfield FPD
      • Ruhland, Fred Kentfield FPD
    • Larkspur Fire Department Biographies >
      • Archer, Douglas - Deputy Chief Larkspur FD, retired, Historian
      • Bartram, George Larkspur FD Chief
      • Doherty, Dolph - Chief, Larkspur FD
      • Lellis, William - Chief, Larkspur FD retired, Photographer & Historian
      • Nelson, Rudolph "Rudy", Filmmaker
      • Raggio, John Fire Chief, Larkspur FD
      • Shurtz, Craig Larkspur FD Chief
      • Wedemeyer, Arthur Edward Sr., Filmmaker, Pilot, Mayor
    • Marin County FD Biographies >
      • Bloom, Louis - Chief, Marin County FD
      • De la Montanya, Lloyd - Chief, Marin County FD
      • Jennings, Greg , Senior Captain Marin County FD retired, Historian
      • Martin, Pete - Captain, Marin County FD, retired, Historian
      • Meuser, Brian Marin County FD
      • Nunes, Clarence Marin County FD
      • Rowan, Stan - Chief, Marin County FD, retired
      • Selfridge, James - Deputy Chief, Marin County FD, retired
    • Mill Valley FD Biographies >
      • Davidson, Jeff Mill Valley Chief
    • Novato Fire District Biographies >
      • Bacon, Harold A. "Tony", Captain, Novato FPD retired
      • Berthinier, James - Chief, Novato FPD, retired
      • Meston, Jeff, Chief Novato FPD, retired
      • Rentz, John - Chief, Novato FPD, retired
    • San Anselmo FD Biographies >
      • Beedle, Robert San Anselmo FD Chief
      • Cartwright, Charles San Anselmo FD
      • Marcucci, Marty Battalion Chief Ross Valley FPD, retired
      • Marcucci, Nello Fire Chief San Anselmo FD
      • Meagor, Linda Louise San Anselmo FD
      • Sousa, Frank Chief, San Anselmo FD
    • San Rafael Fire Biographies >
      • Castro, Walter San Rafael FD
      • Diego, John San Rafael FD
      • Daniels, Charles I., Jr. (Chuck)
      • Johansen, Clarence Fritz San Rafael FD Chief
      • Johansen, Martin San Rafael FD Chief
      • Martin, Bruce - San Rafael FD Chief
      • Mizroch, Dr. Stephen, M.D. - SR Fire Commissioner, Historian & Collector
      • Scheuer, Fred J. San Rafael FD Chief
      • Schneider, D.N. San Rafael FD Chief
      • Williams, John - Captain, San Rafael FD, retired, Historian
    • Sausalito FD Biographies >
      • Bogel, Steve - Chief, Sausalito FD
      • Bunker, Fred - Division Chief Sausalito FD, retired.
      • Pedersen, Swede Sausalito FD
      • Perry, Matts Sausalito FD
      • Poole, Gene Sausalito and San Rafael FD's
      • Quayle, Robert - Chief, Sausalito FD
    • Tiburon FPD Biographies >
      • Rappole Bliss, Rosemary - Chief, Tiburon FPD
      • Buscher, Franklin - Chief, Tiburon FPD
    • Barrows, Richard "Dick", Chief State OES
    • Drady, Harold "Spike" Nicasio VFD Chief
    • Gardner, Edwiin B. Tamalpais Forest Fire District
    • Goodson, Carl - Battalion Chief, Santa Rosa FD, retired.
    • Hensley, William J. Tamalpais Forest Fire District
    • Heynen, Carl Otto, Jr. Alto Richardson Bay FD
    • Kobseff, Nicolas 'Nick' Chief Nicasio VFD
    • Livingston, Dewey - West Marin Historian
    • McMurray, Bill Marin County Communications, MCSO
    • Mersereau, Laurence "Bunk" - Chief, Belvedere FD
    • Rogers, Art - Photographer
    • Souza, Robert - Chief, Tamalpais FPD
    • White, Dan - Ambulance Company Owner, Businessman & Videographer
  • Current Fire Service Associations
    • California Fire Chiefs Association
    • California State Firefighters Association
    • Retired Fire Service Groups
    • Fire Safe Marin
    • Fire Training Officers Section MCFCA
    • Fire Prevention Officers Section MCFCA >
      • Fire Investigation Team
    • International Association of Fire Chiefs
    • Marin County Fire Chiefs Association >
      • 2017 Installation Dinner
      • 2018 Installation Dinner Ignacio
      • Perpetual Leadership Award Recipients
    • Marin Office of Emergency Services
    • Northern California Fire Prevention Officers, CFCA
    • Northern California Fire Training Officers, CFCA
    • Operation Chiefs Section MCFCA
    • Sonoma County Fire Chiefs Association
  • Former Fire Service Associations
    • Larkspur FD Ladies Auxiliary
    • Lucas Valley Volunteer Fire Association
    • Marin County Association of Fire Departments
    • Marin County Association of FD's Ladies Auxiliary
    • Marin Sonoma Fire Training Officers Association
    • Pacific Coast Association of Fire Chiefs
    • Redwood Empire Tri-County Fireman's Association
    • Redwood Fire and Protective Association
    • Stockmens Protective Association
    • Tamalpais Forestry Association
  • Competitions, Sports, and Events
    • Baseball & Softball Teams
    • Chili Cookoffs
    • Football Team
    • Hose Cart Racing
    • Larkspur Fire Muster 1978-1984
    • Oregon & Nevada Musters
    • California Fire Musters
    • Water Fights
    • 4th of July Fireworks Displays
  • National Fire Heritage Center
  • Emergency Medical Services
    • Annual EMS Survivors Dinner
  • The Hazardous Materials Team
  • College Fire Science and Technology Programs
    • Santa Rosa Junior College
    • College of Marin
  • Residential "Sleeper" Programs at FD's
    • Corte Madera FD Sleeper Program
    • Kentfield FPD Sleeper Program
    • Ross Fire Department Sleeper Program
    • Tiburon Fire Protection District Sleeper Program
  • History of California State Fire Training
  • Marin County Fire Training
  • Fire Water Systems
  • Communications Systems, Radios, MERA
  • Urban Search & Rescue Team (USAR)
  • Tamalpais Fire Crew
  • Sanborn Fire Maps
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • National Fire History, Related
    • The 10 Standard Firefighting Orders, Origin
  • Fire Apparatus & Equipment
    • C.A.M. Manufacturing & Louis P. Soldavini
    • The Transition to Motorized Apparatus
    • Historical List of Apparatus For Marin County
    • 1850 Austrian Hand Pumper, Larkspur FD
    • 1916 Ford Model T Chemical Engine Larkspur
    • 1922 Stutz Fire Pumper San Rafael
    • 1923 American La France Pumper, Mill Valley FD
    • 1923 Ford Model T, Novato FD
    • 1927 American La France Pumper, Kentfield
    • 1929 Seagrave Pumper, Fairfax FD