Emeryville Fire Department
For several years after Emeryville incorporated in 1896, the town had no fire department or fire station. According to one source, Emeryville “needed no police force nor fire department because Oakland protected it on one side and Berkeley on the other. Neither neighbor could stand by and see its little neighbor burn.” Nineteenth century Emeryville survived without a fire department because the predominantly rural community had a sparse population and few buildings.
The Umphred Fire
After the tum of the century Emeryville expanded in terms of population and industrial development. From 1900 to 1910 several factories were built, some of which stored inflammable materials that inevitably increased the danger of industrial fire.
On April 28, 1907 a disastrous fire destroyed the Umphred Furniture Warehouse at the foot of Park Avenue. The fire spread to other buildings, and the Emery train station burned to the ground. Nearby oil tanks exploded in flames, and according to one newspaper account, “Emeryville became enveloped in a cloud of smoke and threatened with destruction.” Horse drawn fire engines from Oakland arrived on the scene just in time to contain the conflagration. This catastrophic fire convinced the Board of Trustees that Emeryville needed its own fire department.
Station #1
In 1908 the Town of Emeryville purchased a 60 x 125-foot lot on the west side of San Pablo Avenue between Park Avenue and 45th Street. It became the site of the first firehouse. Built in 1910 at a cost of $9,133, the two-story Mission style firehouse had two arched garage doorways, a tile roof, and a hose tower whose purpose was to dry out cotton jacketed hoses after use to prevent mildew.
The first floor of the new firehouse consisted of an alarm center and garage area for fire vehicles and equipment. The second floor contained a dormitory, chiefs office, captain’s room, kitchen, and sitting room. Two brass descent poles provided rapid access to the first f1oor.
The Emeryville Fire Department began operation in 1912. The same year, it purchased a motorized fire fighting vehicle, a combination pumping engine and hose wagon, from the Webb Fire Apparatus Co. Emeryville became the “first city west of the Mississippi to acquire a motorized fire engine.”5 The vehicle had to be equipped with tire chains in wet weather because San Pablo Avenue was still a dirt street at this time.
By 1916 the E.F.D. consisted of five employees: a Fire Chief (C.W. Culver), an Engineer Auto Driver, and three firefighters, who respectively received $120, $95, and $90 per month.6 In 1918 the E.F.D., now with a staff of seven, adopted a two-platoon shift. Two teams of three firemen worked on alternate days, each shift lasting 24 hours. The Fire Chief worked a standard five-day week but had to be on call after hours in the event of an emergency.
Expansion Years
The department acquired new equipment and additional staff during the 1920s. Manpower at the, station was increased to eight employees in 1920, and to nine in 1924. Three fire chiefs served in this decade: C. W. Culver (1912-1926), John Willey (1926-1928), and Bertram Rose (1928-1937).
By 1929, E.F.D. equipment included an Ahrens-Fox pumper, Webb pumper, a chemical truck rig, one service truck, and a chief’s car.8 The service truck, an American LaFrance ladder pulled by a Locomobile tractor, was an articulated vehicle that required a Wierman to steer the rear wheels.
The Fire House had to be modified to accommodate the additional fire equipment and the expanding crew of firefighters. In 1926 the two arched doorways were squared off and a third doorway added in between. This remodeling project, which cost $5,000, drastically changed the appearance of the building. Also during the 1920s, the hose tower was damaged by an earthquake and had to be removed.
Major Fires
From 1912 to 1932 the firefighters of early Emeryville responded to numerous fire alarms that at times challenged the department. The major fires that occurred over this twenty-year period involved the Western Furniture Co. (1915), the California Jockey Club (1915), Marchant Calculating Co. (1919), and the New Metal Products Co. (1927). The latter. at 59th and Doyle Streets. burned down on April 4, 1927. Chief Rose received serious injuries when chemicals in the building exploded, hurling him to the ground.
The E.F.D. achieved a reputation as an effective fire fighting force during the administration of Chief Bert Rose. In 1932 the Fireman’s Association of Oakland published a brief history of the E.F.D. which noted:
“Bert J. Rose, the fire chief…has a thoroughly trained and experienced group of firefighters under his command who understand the routine office-drill and the fire hazards of their city. While there is more danger from fire in a manufacturing center in which a great many inflammable materials are used than in an ordinary residential section, the Emeryville Fire Department is always equal to the task in either emergency. It is ever alert in meeting the requirements of a modem fire-fighting machine and is continually improving and adding to the equipment necessary for the safety of the people of Emeryville.”
In 1932 the KF.D. bought a fire engine from Seagrave Corporation for $7,170; the old Webb pump truck was sold to the City of Tracy in 1933, and one of the ladder trucks was sold to Napa State Hospital in 1934. The E.F.D. acquired a new F.A.B. fire pumping engine in 1941.12 The Seagrave ladder truck is still owned by the E.F.D.; over 60 years old. it is ready for duty. a reminder of the early years when Station # 1 had the responsibility of protecting the entire City of Emeryville.
Testing and Training
The adoption of civil service procedures by the Emeryville voters in 1936 contributed to the professionalization of the fire department, as well as 55 changing the hiring and promotional practices of all City departments. As a result of civil service. applicants for fire department positions had to pass an examination, and so standards were set for every job category. The emphasis on testing and training improved the firefighting proficiency of the department.
Bert Rose resigned in 1937. shortly after the implementation of civil service, having served as Fire Chief for nine years. E. Schleason became the new Fire Chief at a salary of $250 a month. In 1942, five years after he resigned as Fire Chief. Bert Rose was appointed to the newly created position of fire investigator.
The Second World War
World War II had an impact on the E.F.D. and other local fire departments because firemen were subject to the draft. In 1943 the Armed Forces drafted E.F.D. Hoseman J. Biasotti in 1942. and Hoseman R. Berg. The World War II era of manpower and equipment shortages encouraged cooperation between East Bay fire districts. In 1942 the Emeryville Board of Trustees passed a resolution that .authorized the E.F.D. to respond to fires in Oakland and Berkeley. The E.F.D. was in a position to fight fires in neighboring cities, since the firehouse was located only four blocks from North Oakland and 22 blocks from the Berkeley line.
Emeryville reached its peak as an industrial city after World War II. Although the resident population remained at 2,500. the daily work force. consisting mostly of commuters, increased it to 25,000. The E.F.D. expanded its operation in the late 1940s in order to provide fire protection for the growing industrial community.
1949 proved to be a momentous year in the department’s history. E. Schleason resigned, having served as Fire Chief for 12 years, and Leo Brous became the new Fire Chief. A complete new fire alarm system was installed, and the department purchased a triple combination pumping engine and a 75 foot American Lafrance aerial ladder truck. That same year, the E.F.D. purchased property in North Emeryville at the comer of 63rd and Hollis Streets, and plans were made to build a second firehouse at this site.
Station #2
The decision to build an additional firehouse was influenced by the large number of major fires that occurred in Emeryville from 1934 to 1949. The following fires received extensive coverage in the press: Park Hotel (1934), Paraffine Companies (1940), Bayle-Lacoste Packing Co. (1940), McGuire & Co. (1942), Bacon Vulcanizer Manufacturing (1945), Gardner Electric Manufacturing Co. (1946), and Dugan’s Cafe (1949). Station #2 opened in February, 1951 and fought its first major fire in October, 1951 when the Western Pine Supply lumberyard burned down. Station #2 was also on the scene when a conflagration destroyed the Tecumseh Products Co. in 1954. Following the opening of Station #2. the E.F.D. staff increased to a maximum of 43.
The E.F.D. has experienced many changes over the 40 year period since the completion of Station #2. The original Station # 1 on San Pablo Avenue became obsolete and was razed and replaced with a new building in 1963. The passage of State Proposition 13 in 1978 resulted in a reduction of the Fire Department work force. Station # 1 on San Pablo Avenue closed June 2. 1991, after almost 80 years of service. In 1991 a new firehouse was built on Powell Street in the Watergate complex. replacing the San Pablo Avenue station. The relocation of Station # 1 to Powell Street is a consequence of the westward shift of Emeryville’s population following the development of the Watergate peninsula.
This story originally published in 1996 for the Emeryville Centennial Celebration and compiled into the ‘Early Emeryville Remembered’ historical essays book.
