International Fire Buff Associates - Fun, Fellowship & Fire Trucks

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Most people have specialized interests and passions through the course of their lives. Some individuals affiliate their interests with the fire service in general or with particular fire departments. Their interest is often expressed by supportive activities such as photography, historical preservation, fire ground rehabilitation services, antique fire apparatus restoration, friendship and camaraderie with active firefighters.

Individuals known for such interests and activities are called fire buffs. This is not a title but rather a description of the person and their activities. Like-minded individuals get to know each other when they recognize each other at fire incidents and fire department functions. Historically, this has resulted in the formation of fire buff clubs. These clubs pool their resources to establish canteen services, rehab units, photography units, and fire museums among many such activities.

In 1953, locally centered buff clubs began to network on a national and international level with the creation of the International Fire Buff Associates. This umbrella organization enables individual clubs to interact, share ideas, visit other clubs and departments beyond their own neighborhood and in general foster relationships among fire buffs on a larger scale. The IFBA sponsors regional meetings and activities among clubs, and an annual organization-wide national convention that is hosted in different cities in the US and Canada. Contact among clubs and members is supported by regional vice presidents, Turn Out magazine, club newsletters, and through the hospitality of NYCFire.net forums. The IFBA provides guidance and support to existing clubs and aids in the organization of new local clubs.

The IFBA’s fundamental purpose is to foster ‘Fun, Fellowship, and Fire Trucks.’

Information about the IFBA, membership, conventions, and organizational guidance can be found on their website or by contacting a regional vice president. All are welcome.
 
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Some notable FDNY fire buffs have been Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, Dr Harry M Archer, and Honorary Chief, Fire Bell Club member, and Mand Library librarian Jack Lerch, among many others. FDNY has long recognized the selfless and unique contributions of people by bestowing honorary department titles upon them. Many of them were fire buffs.
 
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Past and present New York City fire buff clubs, some in existence since before World War II.

Fire Bell Club of New York - 1939
255 Club of Brooklyn - 1940
Signal 6-6 Club - New York City Association of Auxiliary Firemen
Signal 7-7 Club of Brooklyn
Signal 8-8 Club of Staten Island - 1958
Third Alarm Association
Box 700 Club of Broad Channel.
 
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Excellent information. Sounds like an extremely worthwhile organization and worth joining.
 
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Past and present New York City fire buff clubs, some in existence since before World War II.

Fire Bell Club of New York - 1939
255 Club of Brooklyn - 1940
Signal 6-6 Club - New York City Association of Auxiliary Firemen
Signal 7-7 Club of Brooklyn
Signal 8-8 Club of Staten Island - 1958
Third Alarm Association
Box 700 Club of Broad Channel.
Gr8 info as always
 
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Signal 6-6 Club - New York City Association of Auxiliary Firemen does anyone know if this club is still active?
 
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Unfortunately, but not unexpectedly the 2021 IFBA Convention scheduled for Ottawa has fallen victim to Covid travel restraints imposed by the Canadian Government

Our friends north of the border are already planning on hosting the 2025 Convention.

Future conventions include:
2022 Boston area. The first ever joint event with SPAAMFAA
2023 Milwaukee 70th Annual Convention
2024 Richmond

In the words of Frank Sinatra from "New York New York" "Start spreading the News"
 
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WOW 197 pages of fantastic fire department operations and history. Great work by the IFBA.

Need to check into membership
 
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WOW 197 pages of fantastic fire department operations and history. Great work by the IFBA.

Need to check into membership
Joe, aren’t you already a member, as well as very involved in organizing the IFBA ?
 
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You can also just read it off the computer. If you check with the editors they may be able to get you a hard copy, but there will be a cost.
 
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How much for a hard copy?
Try an office supply store such as Staples, FedEx, or Office Depot. Paper type, color or B&W, single or two-sided, and how many copies, all affect the price.

Some of the local buff clubs offer printed copies as part of their membership dues. Local clubs and contacts are listed in the magazine and on the website - ifba.org.
 
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Is anyone aware of someone who might have saved issues of the Third Alarmer newsletter from the Third Alarm Association? (1948-1968)

Fire buff organizations and individuals captured a tremendous amount of fire department history in their club newsletters. The Third Alarm Association's newsletter was probably the oldest (i.e. the first) club newsletter, originating in 1948. A few issues have appeared in posts on this site, so they are still around. As time goes by, it is more and more likely that they will disappear forever. The Third Alarm, being the oldest, is probably in the most immediate danger of being lost forever. The history they contain cannot be replaced. This project is to locate and digitize them and make them available for all in the future.

Because club newsletters are not the type of publication that mainstream libraries typically acquire, saving newsletters is usually done by those of us who can't 'read and toss' anything because someday, someone else might want to read it too.

Interestingly, in 1969, about when the Third Alarm disappeared, the Fire Bell Club newsletter began. The Mand Library has a good collection of FBC newsletters, not to mention that the FBC may have a set also. But they do not have the Third Alarm newsletters.

Other area clubs have produced and saved newsletters also and we hope to preserve those too.


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IFBA Clubs and Members on that responded and worked on September 11, 2001

Gong Club of Jersey City
Bell & Siren Club of Newark
Box 54 of Teaneck
Retired Fireboat Harvey

In Memory
Fire Dispatcher Joseph Lovero, FDJC, Gong Club
FF Andrew Fredericks, FDNY Squad 18, Fire Bell Club of New York
FF David Fontana, FDNY Squad 1, Fire Bell Club of New York
Captain Terrence Hatton, FDNY Rescue 1, Fire Bell Club of New York
 
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Some notable FDNY fire buffs have been Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, Dr Harry M Archer, and Honorary Chief, Fire Bell Club member, and Mand Library librarian Jack Lerch, among many others. FDNY has long recognized the selfless and unique contributions of people by bestowing honorary department titles upon them. Many of them were fire buffs.
Arthur Fielder, the Maaestro of the Boston Pops was a well known Boston buff.
 
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Mark your Calendars. October 9th at the Philadelphia Second Alarmers, help them celebrate their 100th Anniversary with an all day Open House at their quarters.
 
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