The Ontario Legislature introduces the Fire Departments Act of 1949, whereby the province of Ontario will contribute up to 25 percent of the cost of maintaining a fire department in certain municipalities. The Act also provides that pension systems must be maintained and contributions from the city for this purpose are compulsory.
Mrs. Ernest W. Howard calls for the organization of an International Association of Fire Fighters Ladies’ Auxiliary. She wrote, “It has been said that for every union man gained, for every addition to the ranks of organized labor, there should be an addition to the ranks of noble women who carry on the battle for better working conditions with their menfolk. And so it follows that every local of the IAFF should be supported by a strong Ladies’ Auxiliary, a Chinese wall, shall we say, against the lamentations of the weak politicians who seek to cut the budget and lower the standard of living of firemen and their families.”
The Federal Communications Commission outlines plan for assigning radio frequencies for the fire service.
Firemen in the District of Columbia are granted a 60-hour work week as a result of congressional approval of a bill introduced by Congressman J. Glen Beall of Maryland at the request of IAFF.
Three St. Paul, Minnesota, fire fighters die in a fire in the warehouse of the Waldorf Paper Company on June 9, 1949. Huge bales saturated with water toppled from a 35-foot high retaining wall as they were battling the fire. The fire fighters died by a collapsing wall that went down under the impact of the incalculable force.
The IAFF publishes an article on the origin and significance of the fire fighter’s uniform .
Samuel A. Fink (1919-1919)Samuel A. Fink took office in May 1919 and served through September of that year. He spent his entire fire service career in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and with Pittsburgh Local 1. When the IAFF was organized in 1918, Fink was elected 1st Vice President. One year later, as president, Fink focused on growing the membership, organizing 96 new locals. Fink resigned during the latter part of 1919 due to family obligations.
William D. Buck (1957-1968)William D. Buck was first elected secretary-treasurer by delegates at the 23rd IAFF Convention in Montreal, Canada. Less than a year later, he was elected by the IAFF Executive Board to serve as acting president after the untimely death of President John P. Redmond. As president, he set increasing membership as a priority, successfully growing the ranks by 50 percent to 115,370. He retired from his position as president in 1968 after celebrating the IAFF’s 50th anniversary.
Buck began his career as a fire fighter with the St. Louis Fire Department in 1930 and soon became an active member of Local 73. He served as a vice president for the local and was also a member of several committees.
Buck was elected 2nd District Vice President in 1940. During his tenure, he was credited with forming three state affiliates, including the Missouri State Council of Fire Fighters, the Professional Fire Fighters of Nevada and the Kansas State Council of Fire Fighters.
William D. Buck (1956-1957)William D. Buck was first elected secretary-treasurer by delegates at the 23rd IAFF Convention in Montreal, Canada.
Buck began his career as a fire fighter with the St. Louis Fire Department in 1930 and soon became an active member of Local 73. He served as a vice president for the local and was also a member of several committees.
Buck was elected 2nd District Vice President in 1940. During his tenure, he was credited with forming three state affiliates, including the Missouri State Council of Fire Fighters, the Professional Fire Fighters of Nevada and the Kansas State Council of Fire Fighters.
All members from the youngest age to the oldest are taken regardless of occupation, nationality or locality, without a medical examination. New members under 50 years of age will be automatically added upon notice without a medical examination after the original group closes March 15, 1921. No member over 50 will then be accepted for insurance.
The national allocations plan for the use and guidance of the fire radio service was officially announced on May 6, 1949, to become effective July 1, 1949, making frequency channels available to base and mobile stations. Additional channels shared with the Railroad Service were also made available.
If there is any one piece of equipment a fire fighter values, it is the helmet. A tradition from before the prevalence of radio communications is that a fire fighter's helmet lying on the ground unattended was a signal of distress. To the average citizen, the fire helmet can be a status symbol or just something really interesting to wear. To those working on the job, the helmet is a tradition that allows us to express our respect for those who have gone before, but is also a means to keep us from harm.