Retro Winter Operations

[Capttomo]

Before the days of bunker gear and enclosed cabs:

- going from warm bunk to apparatus floor and getting the first splash of cold air
- shivering most of the way to the box on really cold nights
- accessing the roof under heavy snow and icy conditions
- making the stretch through snow drifts or across icy sidewalks, courtyards and walkups
- coming back out to the street wet on really cold nights
- shoveling the front of the firehouse as the snow came down faster than you could clear it
- discovering the hydrant was frozen
- how cold hooks, cans, nozzles and ground ladders got if you didn’t put your gloves on
- the cold drafty backrooms and kitchens in many houses back then

Memories - stories ????

 

[1261Truckie]

Tenting your turnout coat over an open engine compartment on an open cab rig to catch the warm air off the engine.

 

[memorymaster]

Using bad words while pushing the "banjos" in the fire zone at 0300.

 

[ta176]

The problem we encountered every once in a while was the street would ice up in the middle of the night and control of the rig, no chains on, became optional. One false alarm run took us almost an hour to get back to Quarters due to the icing conditions on the roads and some of the hills in our response area. The other problem was the older rigs didn't have dual rear wheels. And the worst thing was, in the winter the diesel engines didn't throw off much heat, summer was a different story.

 

[JohnnyGage]

4am call over the intercom from housewatch; "Chauffeur put the chains on".