Old Flames: A Journey Though Fire Service History

Things have been....interesting....for me lately. I fill you in during this episode. 

Everything I know about living and dying, I learned in the fire department. This episode is my reflection on those lessons, interrupted by the occasional rant and also comments on sociology and human nature.

Molly's Song: https://www.amazon.com/Mollys-Song-Lee-Hutch-ebook/dp/B094WZPZH5/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1627930927&sr=8-2

My First Day: https://leehutchauthor.com/2021/01/26/welcome-to-hell-kid/

Travel back in time to Chicago, 1871, and ride along with firefighters as they battle an urban conflagration.

Molly's Song by Lee Hutch: https://www.amazon.com/Mollys-Song-Lee-Hutch-ebook/dp/B094WZPZH5/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=molly%27s+song+lee+hutch&qid=1626804700&sr=8-2

Chicago 1871 by James Merl: https://www.amazon.com/Chicago-1871-Science-Fiction-Thriller-ebook/dp/B07JGW6ZY8/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1626804678&sr=8-1

Yes...firefighters feel fear like anyone else. Here is a collection of stories about some of the most frightening experiences I had on the job. 

This story time with Lee episode will cover a little bit about arson investigation, why I transferred to the arson unit, and the mysterious case of the firesetting ghost. 

Sunday, December 7, 1941 started like any other Sunday for the men of the Honolulu Fire Department. All that changed, when at 7:55am, the naval base at Pearl Harbor, Army airfields, and indeed, the City of Honolulu itself came under attack from the naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan. Within the space of a few minutes, six firefighters were wounded and three killed. This is the story of the day war came to the HFD. 

Here are some "too hot for TV" quotes to go along with Episode 7. WARNING: CONTAINS DESCRIPTIONS OF GRAPHIC VIOLENCE AND DEATH.

Report From Hamburg Police President: https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/681075.pdf 

Wartime firefighting presents unique challenges that go above and beyond the day to day challenges of being a firefighter in an urban area. By the end of World War 2, Berlin was the most heavily bombed city in Europe. How did German firefighters cope with the strain of near constant air raids? This is the subject of today's episode. CONTENT WARNING: This episode includes some graphic accounts of the aftermath of air raids, a discussion of Nazi Germany, and audio recorded during air raids. Listener discretion is advised.

Edward R. Murrow Report: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FY0KFqmURM

Fliegeralarm Short Film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLNtCYz_L7c

My Novel: https://www.amazon.com/Others-May-Live-Lee-Hutch-ebook/dp/B07Q5H4BF1/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=so+others+may+live&qid=1618851207&sr=8-2

Did an angel really save my life in a fire one night? And what is the craziest thing I ever saw on the job? Find out in today's episode! 

Joining me on today's episode is retired Milwaukee Fire Department Captain Greg Renz. Not only is he a member of the Wisconsin Fire and Police Hall of Fame, but he is also an award winning author. Join us as we talk firefighting, rescues, and his amazing novel, Beneath the Flames.

Website: https://glrenz.com/ 

The story of the Winecoff Fire continues. 

In the early morning hours of December 7, 1946, a fire tore through the Winecoff Hotel located on the corner of Peachtree and Ellis Streets in Downtown Atlanta. 119 people died in what is, to this day, the nation's deadliest hotel fire. Join me for the story of the fire and the firefighters who tackled it. 

SOURCES:

BOOKS: 

The Winecoff Fire by Sam Heys and Allen Goodwin 

Stories of the Winecoff Fire by Chet Wallace

ARTICLES:

 "The Winecoff Fire -- 50 Years Later" by Dave Williams, Firehouse Magazine, 30 NOV 1996 

"The Winecoff Fire -- Our Nation's Deadliest Hotel Fire" by (listed as Member Zone contribution), Firehouse Magazine, 26 NOV 2002

"The Hotel Winecoff Disaster," by James McElroy, Quarterly of the National Fire Protection Association, Vol. 40, No. 3, Jan. 1947 (accessed via http://nfpa.org )

VIDEOS:

Winecoff Hotel Fire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujWXIrhyeVw

Sam Heys on the Winecoff Fire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCETPYu-GLc

WEBSITES

http://www.winecoff.org/

110 Years ago today, on March 25, 1911, at around 4:45pm, the lives of 146 people, many of them teenagers, came to a tragic end due to the greed and negligence of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Owners. We hear a lot about the fire, and we occasionally hear the names of some of the victims, but what about the rest? Listen to this episode to hear a reading of the names and ages of all 146 victims. May they rest in peace.

Source: https://trianglefire.ilr.cornell.edu/victimsWitnesses/victimsList.html

When I was a baby firefighter, like my more experienced colleagues, I used certain terms without knowing how those terms came into existence. This episode will touch on some of that terminology and give you the historical origins along with how they were used in my area. 

Just before 1am on Sept. 7, 1943, a fire tore through a downtown hotel, claiming the lives of 55 men, 36 of whom lie forgotten in a mass grave just south of town. This is their story. 

In this introductory episode, retired firefighter and author Lee Hutch tells you everything you ever wanted to know about fire department horses and explains how the iconic fire station pole came into existence.