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Philadelphia hired a very large number of firefighters in 1947 including former Fire Commissioner Joe Rizzo, brother of Mayor Frank Rizzo.  Back then in Philadelphia you went directly to your firehouse with no training.  Sometime in your first year you were sent to The Fire School for proby...

Philadelphia still specs a booster line on every pumper.  From 1954 thru 1963 PFD was buying John Bean High Pressure Fog pumpers on commercial chassis.  There was a separate belt driven high pressure pump that supplied 850 PSI to the 2 booster reels which were equipped with BEAN GUNS as the...

PA Turnpike closed Eastbound between Willow Grove and Philadelphia due to accidents.  Several accidents involving a reported 100 vehicles.  Live coverage on most Philly TV stations.  Major fire and EMS response.  EMS units from as far as Burlington County, NJ.  You can listen to Bucks County PA...

A PFD Medic Unit caught fire this morning inside the quarters of Snorkel 2, Battalion 4 at 4th & Arch Streets in Center City Philadelphia.  Engine compartment of the medic unit was well involved and the fire heavily damaged the apparatus room.  I am not gifted enough to attach the video that was...

The aerial in the L.85 photo looks like a Pirsch.  Not much ladder when you got to the top when fully extended.

Some cities with large fleets operate various types of aerial devices based on experience.  In Philadelphia, the vast majority of the ladder companies have tillers but two companies run ladder towers and two companies still run 85' Snorkels.  The aerial devices on the Snorkels were originally...

Very fascinating information Mack.  Thank You for posting it.

Reading about the job in Macy's in downtown Brooklyn brought something to mind.  Does anybody have info on a department store fire in Brooklyn sometime in the 70s.  I seem to remember it was a daytime fire with civilian deaths.  Thanks !