{"id":64,"date":"2015-12-27T08:36:52","date_gmt":"2015-12-27T13:36:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/legeros.com\/blog2\/?p=64"},"modified":"2023-06-04T15:58:46","modified_gmt":"2023-06-04T19:58:46","slug":"vintage-raleigh-fire-department-rules-regulations-booklet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/vintage-raleigh-fire-department-rules-regulations-booklet\/","title":{"rendered":"Vintage Raleigh Fire Department Rules &#038; Regulations Booklet"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Raleigh Fire Museum tweeted about this the other week. Let\u2019s examine more closely in this blog posting. This is a vintage \u201crules and regulations\u201d booklet from the early twentieth century. It was donated to the museum by a retired member of the department.<\/p>\n<p>View the booklet in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/raleighfiremuseum\/albums\/72157689925968355\">this photo gallery<\/a>\u00a0or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legeros.com\/ralwake\/raleigh\/history\/pdf\/rules-regulations.pdf\">download PDF version<\/a>.<br \/>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.legeros.com\/ralwake\/photos\/weblog\/images\/2015-12-28-rules.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Look familiar? We\u2019ve <a href=\"http:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/charlotte-fire-department-rules-regulations-1940\/\">blogged before about a similar booklet<\/a> from the Charlotte Fire Department. We\u2019ll compare both in a bit. First, let\u2019s look more closely at the Raleigh booklet:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRules and Regulations for the Government of the Officers and Members of the Raleigh Fire Department.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Size<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Measures about four inches wide by six inches high.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Date<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Guessing 1920s or 1930s, but could be as late as late 1940s. Page 3 references the Commissioner of Public Safety. The city was governed by a Board of Commissioners until July 1, 1947. Thus the booklet is no older than that. There are also six pages of alarm box locations in the back of the booklet. They include streets in locations annexed between 1930 and 1949, such as the \u201cfar ends\u201d of Glenwood Avenue as well as Whitaker Mill. Thus the booklet can be reasonably dated as between 1930 and 1947.<\/p>\n<p>Page 23 references \u201cappointees\u201d. Fire department members were appointed positions until March 1, 1935, when they were granted civil service protection. Does that further narrow the scope of this document? Possibly. Was the verb \u201chired\u201d used after that date, or were new member said to be \u201cappointed\u201d (as now based on competitive hiring). And\/or, once that change was made, were all documents updated with revised language? Was this booklet updated or older terminology left in place. (Such as \u201chose carts\u201d that are cited in the booklet and despite a couple decades since the horse-drawn era.)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Page 1 \u2013 Title page.<\/li>\n<li>Page 3 \u2013 List of department positions.<\/li>\n<li>Page 3 \u2013 First page of rules, beginning with duties of Fire Chief.<\/li>\n<li>Page 5 \u2013 Rules for Captains and Lieutenants<\/li>\n<li>Page 9 \u2013 Rules for Lieutenants<\/li>\n<li>Page 9 \u2013 Rules for Drivers, Pipemen and Laddermen<\/li>\n<li>Page 10 \u2013 Rules for Drivers<\/li>\n<li>Page 10 \u2013 Rules for Watch<\/li>\n<li>Page 11 \u2013 Rules for Going to and at Fires<\/li>\n<li>Page 17 \u2013 Rules for Care of Hose and Apparatus<\/li>\n<li>Page 18 \u2013 General Rules<\/li>\n<li>Page 27 \u2013 Fire Alarm [Signal] Code[s]<\/li>\n<li>Page 28 \u2013 Number and Location of Fire Alarm Boxes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Observations and Amusements<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>#10 \u2013 Station officers will see that \u201csleeping rooms and all beds and bedding therein are kept scrupulously clean and properly aired.\u201d Also, all beds must be made up by 8:30 a.m. daily, and \u201ckept so during the day.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>#12 \u2013 At the end of each fiscal year (ending May 31), station officers will forward to the Fire Chief an \u201caccurate and complete inventory of all city property then on hand under their charge.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>#16 \u2013 \u201cCommanding officers of stations shall visit the sick and injured members of their respective companies at least once a week.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>#21 \u2013 Watch members will \u201cexercise economy and good judgment in the use of fuel and station lights.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>#21 \u2013 Watch members may not \u201csleep or doze or recline in a position to indicate sleep\u201d and \u201cwill remain in a position to hear and attend promptly all calls or signals whether received by telegraph, telephone, or verbally.\u201d<br \/>\n\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>#22 \u2013 Run card rules and assignment of companies \u201cmust in all cases be strictly adhered to.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>#27 \u2013 When the bell rings, when going to and returning from fires, and on the fire ground, \u201cthe greatest degree of silence compatible with the efficient discharge of duty\u201d is required.<\/li>\n<li>#28 \u2013 Companies arrive at fires in the shortest possible time, but without exceeding established speed limits.<\/li>\n<li>#29 \u2013 When two or more apparatus are traveling on the same street to a fire, they must travel single file.<\/li>\n<li>#32 \u2013 The first arriving company office is in charge at a fire, if the Fire Chief or Assistant Chief haven\u2019t arrived.<br \/>\n\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>#37 \u2013 Arriving ladder trucks must not park near hydrants, nor in the way of other companies.<\/li>\n<li>#46 \u2013 \u201cNo member shall willfully direct a stream of water upon any fireman or citizen.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>#51 \u2013 No apparatus can leave the city without the consent of the Mayor or the Commission of Public Safety and the Fire Chief.<\/li>\n<li>#55 \u2013 Every thirty days, any unused hose must be removed, examined, aired, and recorded.<\/li>\n<li>#56 \u2013 Members are expected to be well-disciplined both on- and off-duty.<br \/>\n\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>#59 \u2013 \u201cProper decorum must be observed at all times, no altercations, or ungentlemanly, profane, abusive, or improper language or disorderly conduct will be permitted at any station upon the part of any officer or member of the Department.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>#64 \u2013 Intoxication will result in suspension.<\/li>\n<li>#65 \u2013 \u201cGambling is prohibited\u201d while at the fire station.<\/li>\n<li>#70 \u2013 Quarters are dusted and cleaned each morning. Saturday is general house cleaning at all stations.<\/li>\n<li>#72 \u2013 Visitors permitted, but \u201chabitual loafing\u201d by them is not.<br \/>\n\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>#73 \u2013 No unattended children can \u201ccongregate within or about the station.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>#74 \u2013 \u201cAfter members have retired for the night, or when sick in the sleeping room, the room must be kept quiet.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>#75 \u2013 On Sundays at at night, stations must be kept quite. On Sunday, \u201cno mechanical work shall be done around the quarters.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>#82 \u2013 \u201cAll reports, messages, or communications received at headquarters pertaining to Department business, whether written, by telephone, or otherwise, must be delivered promptly to the Chief of the Department, or where he is absent, to the Assistant Chief.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>#84 \u2013 New appointees shall serve a ninety-day probation. <br \/>\n\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>#91 \u2013 \u201cOfficers and members must be prompt and exact in returning from all leaves of absence.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>#95 \u2013 No loaning of badge or uniform to others, including other firemen.<\/li>\n<li>#100 \u2013 \u201cNo one is allowed to use the Department telephone promiscuously.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Fire Alarm [Signal] Codes<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>One tap followed by a box [number] indicates a test.<\/li>\n<li>Two taps indicates a telephone call.<\/li>\n<li>Three taps after either a telephone call or a box alarm indicates control.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>How did those work?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Gongs (and tape punch reels) were located at each engine house.<\/li>\n<li>Box alarms would sound with the box number \u201ctapped out\u201d and repeated probably three times.\n<ul>\n<li>How did that work?<\/li>\n<li>Every engine house in the city received bell signals.<\/li>\n<li>Companies self-dispatched, based upon run cards, which were based on box numbers.<\/li>\n<li>What did those run cards or run assignments look like? Believe two engines and the service ladder truck for locations except the \u201cfire district\u201d downtown, which were two engines and the aerial ladder truck. Need to check and confirm.<\/li>\n<li>What happened at night? Every company was awakened by the bell? Correct.<\/li>\n<li>For those companies that didn\u2019t respond, believe they remained \u201cat watch\u201d until either (a.) they were requested as additional companies or (b.) the fire was marked under control, by three bells.<\/li>\n<li>How were additional companies requested? Was the box alarm transmitted again? Was the request sent as a telephone alarm? Don\u2019t know.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Two taps of the bell signaled a telephone call.\n<ul>\n<li>How did that work?<\/li>\n<li>Believe this required each station officer to pick up the telephone, and either initiate or receive a call from the fire alarm dispatcher, to who provided details of the call.<\/li>\n<li>Believe this used only for fires (or emergencies) at locations that were outside the city, or a distance from an alarm box. Presuming that a telephone alarm of a fire within, say, a half-block or more of an alarm box location, would be dispatched as a box alarm to the nearby alarm box.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Three taps of the bell signaled that the fire was under control.\n<ul>\n<li>Believe the companies that did not respond would stand by, or remain \u201cat watch.\u201d If overnight, they stayed at the trucks or maybe in the watch room or apparatus floor. They didn\u2019t go back to bed until \u201ccontrol\u201d was sounded. This practice, I\u2019m told, continued as late as the late 1960s or early 1970s.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Where were the radios?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>As late as 1946, the Fire Chief had a two-way radio. He could communicate with law enforcement officials as well as hospitals, or at least relay messages therein.<\/li>\n<li>In 1955, two-way radios were installed in all pieces of apparatus. A base station radio was also installed in the Dispatcher\u2019s room at Station 1.<\/li>\n<li>In 1957, two-way radio base stations were added at all fire stations. Radio watch started, from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., with two hour watch periods, on February 7, 1957.<\/li>\n<li>In 1958, a county-wide two-way radio system was installed for fire departments. The Raleigh Fire Department Dispatcher began dispatching select county fire departments. The Dispatcher was based at Station 1, or \u201cCentral Fire Station.\u201d The radio handle for county fire dispatch was or became known as \u201cCentral.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>How long were the alarm boxes used?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Until 1973. The last box alarm was received on May 14, 1973. Read that history on this page.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Comparing Charlotte and Raleigh Booklets<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s a <a href=\"http:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/charlotte-fire-department-rules-regulations-1940\/\">blog post from 2009<\/a>, feature a similar booklet from the Charlotte Fire Department. Gets me thinking that such booklets were perhaps replicated among urban fire departments. Maybe with help from the IAFF? Some observations:<\/p>\n<table border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"1\" cellpadding=\"3\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td>Charlotte<\/td>\n<td>Raleigh<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Date<\/td>\n<td>1940<\/td>\n<td>Early 1930s?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Total Rules<\/td>\n<td>112<\/td>\n<td>100<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Apartment Houses<\/td>\n<td>yes<\/td>\n<td>no<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Hotels<\/td>\n<td>yes<\/td>\n<td>no<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Alarm Boxes<\/td>\n<td>yes<\/td>\n<td>yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Alarm Box Signals<\/td>\n<td>no<\/td>\n<td>yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Street Directory<\/td>\n<td>yes<\/td>\n<td>no<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Total Pages<\/td>\n<td>~60<\/td>\n<td>33<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<div data-animation=\"no-animation\" data-icons-animation=\"no-animation\" data-overlay=\"on\" data-change-size=\"\" data-button-size=\"0.7\" style=\"font-size:0.7em!important;display:none;\" class=\"supsystic-social-sharing supsystic-social-sharing-package-flat supsystic-social-sharing-content supsystic-social-sharing-content-align-left\" data-text=\"\"><a data-networks=\"[]\" class=\"social-sharing-button sharer-flat sharer-flat-8 counter-standard without-counter facebook\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Facebook\" href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Flegeros.com%2Fblog%2Fvintage-raleigh-fire-department-rules-regulations-booklet%2F\" data-main-href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u={url}\" data-nid=\"1\" data-name=\"\" data-pid=\"1\" data-post-id=\"64\" data-url=\"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php\" data-description=\"Vintage Raleigh Fire Department Rules & Regulations Booklet\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-mailto=\"\"><i class=\"fa-ssbs fa-ssbs-fw fa-ssbs-facebook\"><span>Share<\/span><\/i><div class=\"counter-wrap standard\"><span class=\"counter\">0<\/span><\/div><\/a><a data-networks=\"[]\" class=\"social-sharing-button sharer-flat sharer-flat-8 counter-standard without-counter twitter\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Twitter\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Flegeros.com%2Fblog%2Fvintage-raleigh-fire-department-rules-regulations-booklet%2F&text=Vintage+Raleigh+Fire+Department+Rules+%26%23038%3B+Regulations+Booklet\" data-main-href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url={url}&text={title}\" data-nid=\"2\" data-name=\"\" data-pid=\"1\" data-post-id=\"64\" data-url=\"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php\" data-description=\"Vintage Raleigh Fire Department Rules & Regulations Booklet\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-mailto=\"\"><i class=\"fa-ssbs fa-ssbs-fw fa-ssbs-twitter\"><span>Share<\/span><\/i><div class=\"counter-wrap standard\"><span class=\"counter\">0<\/span><\/div><\/a><a data-networks=\"[]\" class=\"social-sharing-button sharer-flat sharer-flat-8 counter-standard without-counter pinterest\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Pinterest\" href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/link\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flegeros.com%2Fblog%2Fvintage-raleigh-fire-department-rules-regulations-booklet%2F&description=Vintage+Raleigh+Fire+Department+Rules+%26%23038%3B+Regulations+Booklet\" data-main-href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/link\/?url={url}&description={title}\" data-nid=\"7\" data-name=\"\" data-pid=\"1\" data-post-id=\"64\" data-url=\"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php\" data-description=\"Vintage Raleigh Fire Department Rules & Regulations Booklet\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-mailto=\"\"><i class=\"fa-ssbs fa-ssbs-fw fa-ssbs-pinterest\"><span>Share<\/span><\/i><div class=\"counter-wrap standard\"><span class=\"counter\">0<\/span><\/div><\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Raleigh Fire Museum tweeted about this the other week. Let\u2019s examine more closely in this blog posting. This is a vintage \u201crules and regulations\u201d booklet from the early twentieth century. It was donated to the museum by a retired member of the department. View the booklet in this photo gallery\u00a0or download PDF version. \u00a0 &#8230;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/vintage-raleigh-fire-department-rules-regulations-booklet\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading &lsquo;Vintage Raleigh Fire Department Rules &#038; Regulations Booklet&rsquo; &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n<div data-animation=\"no-animation\" data-icons-animation=\"no-animation\" data-overlay=\"on\" data-change-size=\"\" data-button-size=\"0.7\" style=\"font-size:0.7em!important;display:none;\" class=\"supsystic-social-sharing supsystic-social-sharing-package-flat supsystic-social-sharing-content supsystic-social-sharing-content-align-left\" data-text=\"\"><a data-networks=\"[]\" class=\"social-sharing-button sharer-flat sharer-flat-8 counter-standard without-counter facebook\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Facebook\" href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Flegeros.com%2Fblog%2Fvintage-raleigh-fire-department-rules-regulations-booklet%2F\" data-main-href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u={url}\" data-nid=\"1\" data-name=\"\" data-pid=\"1\" data-post-id=\"64\" data-url=\"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php\" data-description=\"Vintage Raleigh Fire Department Rules & Regulations Booklet\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-mailto=\"\"><i class=\"fa-ssbs fa-ssbs-fw fa-ssbs-facebook\"><span>Share<\/span><\/i><div class=\"counter-wrap standard\"><span class=\"counter\">0<\/span><\/div><\/a><a data-networks=\"[]\" class=\"social-sharing-button sharer-flat sharer-flat-8 counter-standard without-counter twitter\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Twitter\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Flegeros.com%2Fblog%2Fvintage-raleigh-fire-department-rules-regulations-booklet%2F&text=Vintage+Raleigh+Fire+Department+Rules+%26%23038%3B+Regulations+Booklet\" data-main-href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url={url}&text={title}\" data-nid=\"2\" data-name=\"\" data-pid=\"1\" data-post-id=\"64\" data-url=\"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php\" data-description=\"Vintage Raleigh Fire Department Rules & Regulations Booklet\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-mailto=\"\"><i class=\"fa-ssbs fa-ssbs-fw fa-ssbs-twitter\"><span>Share<\/span><\/i><div class=\"counter-wrap standard\"><span class=\"counter\">0<\/span><\/div><\/a><a data-networks=\"[]\" class=\"social-sharing-button sharer-flat sharer-flat-8 counter-standard without-counter pinterest\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Pinterest\" href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/link\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flegeros.com%2Fblog%2Fvintage-raleigh-fire-department-rules-regulations-booklet%2F&description=Vintage+Raleigh+Fire+Department+Rules+%26%23038%3B+Regulations+Booklet\" data-main-href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/link\/?url={url}&description={title}\" data-nid=\"7\" data-name=\"\" data-pid=\"1\" data-post-id=\"64\" data-url=\"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php\" data-description=\"Vintage Raleigh Fire Department Rules & Regulations Booklet\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-mailto=\"\"><i class=\"fa-ssbs fa-ssbs-fw fa-ssbs-pinterest\"><span>Share<\/span><\/i><div class=\"counter-wrap standard\"><span class=\"counter\">0<\/span><\/div><\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=64"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7442,"href":"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64\/revisions\/7442"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=64"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=64"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=64"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}