[color="#000080"]October 31, 1993 Engine Company 3 and Engine company 34 were disbanded and placed out of service.
May 7, 1995 Truck Company 1 and Rescue Squad 4 were disbanded and placed out of service.[/color]
[color="#8B0000"]Ladder 68- It was during Fire Chief Otis Latin's tenure that companies were closed, manpower was reduced, and morale took a huge hit. [/color]
5 man trucks were reduced to 4 man trucks, two piece 5 man engine companies were reduced to 4 man single piece engine companies, the 7th and 8th Battalions were closed, E3, E34, T1, & RS4 were closed, Battalion Aides were removed from the buggies, apparatus was in a state of emergency, firehouse roulette was in place, as companies closed for the day to save on overtime expenses, and on and on! Chief Latin was often refered to as "The Cut Man".
Chief Alfred did sign approximately 100 pink slips for men that were to be RIF'ed. Concessions were made by the rank and file, and these men were able to keep their jobs.
The "Hahns" held the department together during these tough times, mostly running as reserves. E6 and E17 were the last companies to have front line Hahns. During the summer of 93' E6 and E17 received new KME's which were very unreliable. To this day, the "Hahns" are held in high esteem by all enginemen, and remembered as the wagons that held the department together during some of our worst budget years.
The two piece engine companies were a wagon and a pumper. If one piece went out of service for maintenance, and the company could not find a reserve, they would be forced to become a single piece engine company until the other piece returned from the shop. When an engine company ran as a single piece company, it was refered to as "running combination". i.e. the wagon and pumper combined into one.
It may sound funny to some outside of DCFD to say wagon, but it is our tradition, and I don't think the term wagon will ever leave our vocabulary.
Semper Fidelis,
Demon Leader 4
May 7, 1995 Truck Company 1 and Rescue Squad 4 were disbanded and placed out of service.[/color]
[color="#8B0000"]Ladder 68- It was during Fire Chief Otis Latin's tenure that companies were closed, manpower was reduced, and morale took a huge hit. [/color]
5 man trucks were reduced to 4 man trucks, two piece 5 man engine companies were reduced to 4 man single piece engine companies, the 7th and 8th Battalions were closed, E3, E34, T1, & RS4 were closed, Battalion Aides were removed from the buggies, apparatus was in a state of emergency, firehouse roulette was in place, as companies closed for the day to save on overtime expenses, and on and on! Chief Latin was often refered to as "The Cut Man".
Chief Alfred did sign approximately 100 pink slips for men that were to be RIF'ed. Concessions were made by the rank and file, and these men were able to keep their jobs.
The "Hahns" held the department together during these tough times, mostly running as reserves. E6 and E17 were the last companies to have front line Hahns. During the summer of 93' E6 and E17 received new KME's which were very unreliable. To this day, the "Hahns" are held in high esteem by all enginemen, and remembered as the wagons that held the department together during some of our worst budget years.
The two piece engine companies were a wagon and a pumper. If one piece went out of service for maintenance, and the company could not find a reserve, they would be forced to become a single piece engine company until the other piece returned from the shop. When an engine company ran as a single piece company, it was refered to as "running combination". i.e. the wagon and pumper combined into one.
It may sound funny to some outside of DCFD to say wagon, but it is our tradition, and I don't think the term wagon will ever leave our vocabulary.
Semper Fidelis,
Demon Leader 4
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