HomeMy WebLinkAboutFire Department History I .
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THE WINTER SPRINGS FIRE DEPARTMENT �
A BRIEF HISTORY �
In 1960 in a small obscure c �
corner of
County' lay the sleepy little village southern Seminole
• Pupul�tipn : 330 , age of North Orlando,
�
County'
��
�� fire Several of the residents realized the need f �
' Pro�ecti e or
- ~ o» ^ Up to that time , fire '''^ ''= � r organized
furnished by the Florida Division ' rzre Protection had been
on of Forestry . �
� ment Thus was born the North Orlando Volunteer Fire D �
Inc . * 1 a
��� American LaFr nce epart-
Fredonia ' N .Y. , and the dept was i pumper was purchased from
was kept in a fenced area in ^a n business . The pumper �
abandoned water plant . «acant field that is now the �
.
• Fire Ahveteran firefighter was chosed as the first �
Chief . That gentleman was William Hahn . rs volunteer
� years experience behind him . He had just m ~ Bill had 30
^ Medford , N ~J . , Fire Dept . , with a ' lifetime membership to that•
` 'y not , Ite was ha shakey beginning to say the least . As often �
� � was when the alarm sounded , the engine would as
. tiseusually due to such malady 's as dead outte»ot run . This
' tires . However , the dedicated volunteers"� / zes or flat
' ' `. ,the next fe*' years , the department Persevered . During �
` . It Was smalr, but very active within about the same .
many other volunteer units , various n the community , Like �
' were conducted These i ' fund raising activities
� �fish fries , raffles and nciuded turkey shouts , barbegues
—funds anyone could think of .other legal method of raisin ' �
ailaUle to purchase new o+ ^ This was the only income ay_
also furnished "out ew equipment and supplies . Much wa~ �
icated group , of pocket " by the small but highly d�d- �
1948
In 1962, the original engine was sold and replaced by �
in O Ford pumper , purchased from the then Union Park y a
,Ol range County . This engine was affectionately» on ark V ^F ^D ^ ' �
e Bessie" ' by the members She ti named ,
horse of the department for ^ e con nued to be the work .
was a 1�42 Pirsh pumper , purchased years . Along with Bessie , �
Florida F .D . , and a tanker' cnased in 1970 from the Hastings ,
estry . , nxer donated by the Division g '
ry . This was the village fire protection sion of For-
on until 1973.
• always chief 's served during this period �
odds� -g_ ~~^ yhtu persevere against seemingly overwhelming
a a^//st them , leading the N O F m ng
Chie� Hahn held the reins from 1 ~~ ^N .O .F .D . always forward .
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:` lowed by Robert Lafollette from 1960 to 1967 . He was fol-
� took over next and carried rom 1967 to 1970 . Allen Cronk �
- Hunter from 1g73 to 1g74 , on until 1973 , followed by Irwin �
^ '
�
The 1972-1974 era began to
area s
^ The Village of North O see some major change i
March of 1972 , it became Orlando ceased to exist s n the
area began a 'teady increase in size , building growth The
liable 1957 American Lnow increased to 1 ,250 , A owze and
Martin Marietta t �rrance pumper was more re-
e ca Company and placed in first acquired from the
st line service
needed , ^
It was decided that a full time fire
fight " ' so on December 1st , 1973 the first dePartment was
e' was put on the payroll ' zrst fulltime fire-
fighter
Charles L . Holzman who h ^ That firefighters name -
Assistant Fire Chief ' held the rank of volunteer
worked daytime only , at that time . Firefighter
at best , He knew y ' when volunteer response was but
with the local press , best at all cosis , During big job ' but I can 't fail Thguoied as
bottom , " Firefieh �et 's face it , we 're st ^rti/ e only way to
home which g cer Holzman was quart let 's /g at the
434 in f served as the police stati ered in a mobile
front of Hacienda yill on' located on S/R
re-
ceived , he would hop into hisage ^ When an alarm was re_
to get the engine , activate thcar and drive to the compo d
to the call . . .hopi/�g some the car
siren and re u»
to help . e f u the volunteers would show up
The next major improvement
the was a City Hall/Fire Station
in December . That building ne spri»g of 1974 , and completed
complex which was begun in
second firefighter was hired in currently Station 24 . A eo
�oggenkamp , Al was hired b zn Ju»e 1974, named Alvin
finally convinced city because Firefighter Holz �
difficult to ope t y council that it was very man had
ra e the pump and nozzle at try «ery
placed °e same time .
A brand-new-right-from-the-factory 750 G
pletizn-^f"' ue/ due for delivery in early 1g7rn pumper was
depar- of the new building and its � ^ The com-
Chriszment and other city staff pessoccupation by the fire
city
Christmas and New Years of '74/ ,73' onnel occurred between
Y was now 4 , 150 , ^ The population of the
Fir Oh yes , one other important event ^
e �ghter Holzman traded in hi occurred during 1974
one . Chief Holzman took s black helmet for a whit
f
Irwin Hunter and became t'/��over ithe reins from Volunteer Che f
the Winter Springs Fire Department .r rst full-time Fire Chief f ze
that position for 15 years Chief Holzman has hor
asked if he intended on s a»d is still going stro/�g ne ld
"no comment " , serving for another 15, he just said
said
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fire The year 1975 dawned with conti
station and another new nued growth ^ A seco d
ew en
discussed . Fire station # g�»e were being seriousl n
the Tuscawilla area which, was now being planned to serve
y
land and funding for
o t s u
ation was donated by ^he Gulf
pUD. � , , ne dev�lopers of the T t -
stream Development sc�willa
Firefighters 3 and 4
Meyer and J .C. Lawton A were hired ' they being William
and actual construction of 1000 GPM pumper was ordered m
u o station 2 began late in the
we Moving right along to 1976 , three � year .
re hired . The names of the ree more firefighter
Lallathin ' Roger Roy and Keith members were Timothy
opening of station 2 and the Sorrels . Spring saw th''
JACO Pumper . Late� in October ,placing in service of the ee
and the city 's first rescue the new MACK pumper arrn w
cue vehicle was put in service. z«ed '
move . Winter Springs Fire Department
^ roPulation had now increased en was definitely on the
to 6 ,000 .
Growth continued for the was again on the i e fire department in 1977
fighters came on board i increase . Four additional ^ i
Assistant Fire Chief . ' nciuding the first full ti � re-
the volunteers to assume Scott Kenneth came from t - me
came Ron Thompson Orville sume those duties . Along with the A/C
thirteen (13) (Skip) Lazio . The full-time force//ny/ McDaniel ,
, now numbered
In 1978, some turnover
n
Three individuals left «er aegan within the department
and 3 as new employe and six were hired , 3 as repl ^
with us today , David es ~ Two of those individuals a cements
was continuing on bot / ryon and Keith Guglielmello re still
city departments n sides of the city and all ^ Growth
level of servi were exPanding trying to keep of the
ce the citizens had learned t�ep up the high
u expect .
second Jumping ahead to 1981 saw the placing in ser i
Paramed � --~re =''�c �e ^ The fire department l «ice of a
be hire w
^� == vzces for the citizens The fia so began
service" �s uordo« Soencer , with 2 ^ rst paramedic to
the fi experience . Gordon started �iyears of EMS and fire
additirst Director of Emergency Medi In October and became
1982 onal paramedics were hired cal Services . Three
h ^ Of those three , only one , one per shift , in January
a»ger-on being Donald Faroum , is still with us , the lone
Fire Another new division started at this
Prevention Division s time was the Florida fire service was hired to head thi
the
Dallas Short Fire Marshal , and his name s div-
.
���on ^ His title was
^ y afier the division was was Robert
created .
van was purchased to house both investigative
equipment . This division is n«estigative and inspection
inspec-
tions , fire and arson investigations for building in on
r gatiuns and public relations .Grumman "Super P � ^
1982^ The department manpower was delivered in Feb
in the city seemed to have had increased to 21 February ,
each year the total number le«eled off and slowed ^ Growth
number of runs totalled of runs increased In down , but
our fifteen years , the 71 ^ In 19G2, the half-way 1974 , the
515 calls ' e runs had increased to ` ay point in
, o 586
increased ` , a jump of
years . numbers remained at 2
s ^ Runs steadily in a 1 for the next s
for an average of 75-80% of with EMS calls accounting
that this was possibly due to total calls . It was
relative newness of e o two factors One s believed
and second was the superb and thus ^a lack of the
Pre-
vention Division superb job being done by the Fo+ hazards
^ However , this is purely speculation .
Pre-
ation
• with Another milestone for the department ' --- ' ^
Burnham hiring of its first female occurred in 1983
par am was a firefighter and Mary firefighters , Nancy '
of
paramedic . Mary is still hanging in a firefighter/
the personnel continued to //g n there with us . Others The whole Central Florida come and go within the depart-
ment .
individuals left to see if o area was growing vnd ePart-
alwaYs better" , and "the the old cliche 's , "bigger is
other side of the fence , " is always greener e s
ce ' was really true . on the
Our original EMS Director
period . He was replaced bc or also left us during thi
Carl Filcher . Carl has been our own Grandfather of EM ,
EMS community since 1972 , een acti«e in the Seminole '
Ambulance Service . Carliwhen he began working for �ounty
in Seminole County , Undershone of the original pa' a'`er»don
Paramedics have become his leadership , the Win/ medics
most Probably The Best . some of the best in the buster Springs//
� ess , and
the pAssistanteChiefdKenneth left the department in 1980 and
involved in both the vacant unzz l985. With th
becoming far too great a task for one individual ' it was
this time by one of the the position was once again handle ,
Timothy J . Lallathi «/
ne 4epartments longtime me b �n +ziled ,
more mundane day to spent Chief Lallathin assumed maers ' one
This position is akin activities of running the the
Most of the time is n zo that of a fullback in v s ations .
the petty problems spent running interference football .
to the head office . Asst . Chief Lallathim� sol«ed before they have a chance keeping
tasks "par exceln h c ance to get
lance" . a»dl�s these
Moving right along to 1986, a brand new mod''l =-
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ambulance type vehicle was
Orlando and placed in service from Wheeled Coach i
inal unit was then retired as Rescue 24 ^ The old ori in
spec-
ial call unit , Also , a no ro serve as Utility 24 , a speg-
received and placed in �� 'squad type" mini pumper c-
of station 26 and was tser«ice ^ This unit was to r was
one of the normal re o be used as a back-up rescue out
scue units was out of service .
received
whe«
Chief Holzman attained
He was allowed to purchase another "first " during this this , all his others se a brand new chief 's car s year .
cars . He even tried to had been old hand-me-down car . 1prior
port at home to keep o e«ict Ruth 's Cadillac from ice
how that situation it looking nice , but you can the car-
n ended , a« all guess
1987 came to a close with
a total number of calls at 935person«el now numbering 25 and
' Our next great step
Seminole County 's "first in April ' 1988, when we join d
' i�ne closest engine or rescue program" . In this system
i/ reQardless of territorial responds to an incid=w�
some great advantages � ^ boundaries . This system has
�»
improved . Most importantly�enerallY , response time
service is improved , zantly however , patient/vicsiare
a major alarm occur
because of the faster res ` w care and •
for mutual aid after s , there is no longer the extended
When
automatically zer it is called for , Now it wait
, zs dispatched @�
innoIntour current year of 1989 there h
this will We have now enter 'd the , a«e been several new
w li be upgraded in the � e comPuter age" .
will link all its system e near future when Seminole Even
All dispatched infor em stations by a computer network .
County
cab of each respondimation will be printed directly will into the
on a map exactly where vehicle locator whi � suon be
given moment . ere that Particular vehicle is will show
s at any
diameter equipped both first out e i '
volumte suPPly hose ^ This enables ng nes with 5" large
line es of water for fire fightin us to obtain much greater
to better interact with otheg ' and has brought us in
r entities .
The number of ELts_Ltnt LtIzAanafti., includin- both staff
and combat , stands at 32 . We have alread - exceeded 1000
- --^~~a +aai tlxat. ilia
Of uuan��l�L �1� g�L,
���� ��
these lity_s_,_ The most alty_iiLtnt of these is "station 3' .
--- ever
That of course will Itp.. 1 on several factors , foremost of
which iscdone about the REoplzatl East Central Florida Belt-
_=�� �a .,...vv... e
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to »�, "�' | / � ---~---^�~~r=="^ ����� ----
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The growth in the eastern t
of the city will also play an important role n portion
decision . Should this growth materialize o e zn this
personnel and equipmeoi . Everyone wants their means more
"aerial apparatus" and our guys are no »ezr ow» Piece of
even talking up apparatus cabs with air They are
and cold running water , not to mention co»ditioning and hot
However , you can bet your last thin on soda dispensers .
purchase as far as apparatus n �ime , whatever we
goes , it will be red ! ! ! !
So , The
a pAst TV commercial once said , "We 've come a long_ lalLiy. baby:,
re looks pretty goaa for the
but we still have a long_ way to 1.2._±. Who knows what the
future holds in store ! Whatever it is, Lau can rest assured
that the itacItLarlia of the Winter springs Fire peuiLtjltat is
only. interested in aazi.ja forward . We have indeed been wit-
ness to many, many cjI:lag_ts,_ I am also sure , with modern
Lttinal2IK what is is ---- ����� nothin�-
HISTORY OF THE DEPARTMENT
Like any small town or village the Winter Springs Fire
Department had humble beginnings. As best as can be determined it
all began by a few motivated citizens of what was then the Village
of North Orlando in 1961 or 1962. The department was reorganized
in the summer of 1963 under then Fire Chief Bill Hahn, a long time
resident and active volunteer. The first fire apparatus was a
vintage 1929 model. There are few around who would still remember
it . This truck was replaced in 1963 by a 1948 Ford Fire Truck which
was obtained from Union Park Fire Department for $400 . 00 . A
portable (Hale) pump was purchased for an additional $325 .00 and
the Village Fire Department was in business. In 1965 the
department ' s membership began to grow. New faces produced more
activity and frequent training. Projects for fund raising came to
life including an auction complete with a professional auctioneer
and high wire act .
The department received it ' s first tanker truck, a 2 , 000
gallon government surplus fuel carrier, from the Division of
Forestry in 1966 . Both trucks were stored in back yards and
driveways of various firemen. The tank from that tanker was later
relocated to another truck and remained in service with the
department until 1979 .
In 1970, an omen cab hose carrier pumper, a 1942 Dodge was
purchased by the city. This, along with it's sister trucks were
moved and stored at the city' s "roofless" fire station, a fenced
in compound located on First Street between Fairfax Avenue and Moss
Road. Shortly after that in 1972 a four wheel drive industrial
pumper was purchased for a dollar from the Martin-Marietta
Corporation.
Finally, in 1973, the results of a building boom brought about
some forward direction for the city, now the City of Winter
Springs . Fire Station One was being seriously discussed. "The first
paid fireman was hired on 1 December 1973 . Construction of Fire
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Station One began in the spring of 1974 and occupation of the
building began during the week between Christmas and New Years,
1974 . The building was shared with City Hall Offices and the Police
Department.
Specifications for a new truck were prepared during 1975 . The
Department has now grown to four said members. Negotiations were
underway with the Winter Serincs Development Corporation to
construct a second fire station in the Tuscawilla area if the city
would provide a new truck and manecwer. A second truck was on order
for that contract . These two trucks were a 1975 Ford ( Taco) pumper
and a 1976 Mack Diesel . More firemen were hired in order to provide
manning of both stations - a total of seven paid firefighters .
The need for a Rescue vehicle was now realized, so a 1974
(Demo) Dodge Van was purchased. All three vehicles were delivered
during the year 1976 . Manning then increased until finally in 1978
a two man company was provided at each station.
1981 brought about some major Improvements and expansions in
facilities and services . A referendum was held in the November 1980
elections on whether or not to c-°=-= a paramedic (Advanced Life
Support) service for the City. The voters expressed their favor of
the program and plans were formulated during 1981 for the 1981-1982
budget. A new rescue unit (ambulance type) was purchased through
a matching funds grant , equipped and placed in , service. A lead
paramedic (coordinator-supervisor) was hired in October 1981 to
plan and implement the program. In January 1982 , three additional
paramedics were hired and the prccrams were instituted in late
January after coverage on three local television stations ' six
o ' clock news.
A new "super" pumper was ordered in July 1981 and delivered
on 17 February 1982 . A significant change in department image took
place with the color of the new truck showing a bright red finish
as opposed to the existing apparatus, thus beginning a reversing
trend to return to the traditional colors of the fire service .
The year of 1981 also saw expansion of Station Two from a
single bay station to three bays, a new dormitory, dayroom and
classroom, making it a better and more efficient facility.
The Fire Prevention Bureau was also created during this
significant year with the hiring of a seasoned and experienced
officer from a neighboring fire department.
The department ' s communications system increased from
individual members taking fire calls on their home phones and two
CS radios to a modern emergency dispatch complex and a full
complement of mobile and portable radios. An audio civil defense
type siren was replaced with tone activated receivers for recall
of volunteers for emergencies .
In September 1985 the City offices moved into their new
building on East SR 434 and provided the Police Department with
one wing of the building. This resulted in the fire department
takeover of the south wing cf Fire Station One . Renovation took
place early in 1986 to provide much needed and much improved living
conditions for fire service personnel .
On March 31 , 1988 , the Department embarked on a new system tc
further improve its efforts to serve the citizens of the City. Upon
the signing of an agreement between the City and Seminole County
the Department entered into a "nearest unit response" system in
which the closest station responds to a situation regardless of
jurisdiction - a program that was already functioning between the
County and the cities of Longwood and Altamonte Springs with good
success . In turn for our participation, the County provided the
Department with all new communications hardware, and inclusion into
a new 800 MHZ Trunking System, and further provided centralized
dispatching services for us .
December 1989 brought about a new staff division to administer
and further enhance the Department's training efforts . The Training
Division was established and set up in a mobile office unit located
behind Fire Station One and created this much needed program.
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In 1989 the Department embarked on a further improvement in
an effort to modernize its record keeping and planning. A computer
system was purchased and through extensive struggle, mind teasing
trials and tribulations, this effort paid off, and by the beginning
of 1991 the system was providing the desired effects.
The Department prides itself with fast and efficient
responses. It has gained a favorable reputation among the citizens
of Winter Springs and is praised publicly by the citizens it
serves. A small town atmosphere still prevails because of frequent
contact with citizens through public relations efforts. Favorable
comments from citizens and about individual members are not
uncommon.
As the city grows, so will the department . It ' s goals will
continue to be: To provide an excellent service through life safety
and fire prevention efforts and to maintain a professional , yet
personal, liaison with its citizens.
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