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HISTORY OF THE METROPOLITAN FIRE ASSOCIATION |
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The
Metropolitan Fire Association was formed in Bill Durrett’s garage on
Muscogee Ave NW. in Peachtree Heights, on June 17, 1970.
Officers were elected at that time with Floyd
McRae elected as Foreman; Ed Milam became the Assistant Foreman, (both are
still active in the MFA and Life Members).
The Secretary was Bill Durrett and Peter Wilcox was elected
Treasurer. Department
Chief P.O. Williams, Deputy
Chiefs Steve Campbell, Claude Lemke and A.P. Black all supported the idea
of an organized Fire Buff club in metro Atlanta.
The first meeting to be held in an Atlanta Fire Department facility
was on July 9, 1970 in the Board Room at AFD Headquarters.
The objectives and purposes of the MFA are:
Membership in the MFA is divided into three categories:
ACTIVE membership includes anyone interested in the fire
service, over 21 years of age, who is not a member of a paid fire
department. Active Members come from all walks of life including
advertising, architects, engineers, police officers, merchandising
professionals, insurance, airline employees, computer technicians,
bankers, etc. Interest in the
Fire Service varies widely. Some
collect toys, fire marks, badges, shoulder patches, helmet fronts, fire
related books and stamps, antique fire engines and any other item related
to fire departments.
PROFESSIONAL members are employees of paid fire departments
who have an active interest in the goals of the MFA through response to
major fire scenes, photography or collections of items listed above.
Our Professional members represent many of the departments in metro
Atlanta including DeKalb County; Cobb County; Hall County; Dobbins Air
Reserve Base; Marietta; College Park; Jonesboro; Clayton County; Decatur;
East Point; Gwinnett County; Atlanta; Fort McPherson, Augusta, Riverdale
and the Georgia State Fire Marshals office.
There are also Professional members in other states including
Connecticut, Kansas, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.
We welcome your application and participation.
ASSOCIATE members are persons who live over 100 miles from
the City of Atlanta but would like to be informed of MFA and fire service
activity in the area. We have
associates members in Illinois, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Rhode
Island, Kansas, California, Kentucky, Tennessee, South Carolina, Texas,
North Carolina, New York, Florida, Massachusetts and several in Georgia.
The governing body of the MFA consists of a Foreman, Assistant
Foreman, Executive Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer and Three
Directors. Meetings are
normally held on the next to the last Tuesday of every month in various
metro Atlanta area fire stations. The
MFA supports the Metro Atlanta Fire Apparatus Show and Muster as our July
meeting. Our December meeting
is a joint Holiday Meal with the Metro Atlanta Fire Chief’s Association
(their annual meeting and officer installation ceremony).
Since most MAFCA and MFA members attended both, we just combined in
1997 and average over 100 attendees each year.
Information about MFA activities and a general report on happenings
within the fire service in Metro Atlanta is published monthly in our
newsletter, HOT NEWS. The
newsletter goes to each Atlanta and DeKalb County Fire Stations.
Copies are also mailed, (either e-mail or snail mail), to over 200
fire departments and people throughout the United States.
We continue converting to transmitting the HOT NEWS via
e-mail as much as possible as a major cost savings to the club as well as
immediate distribution. This
also saves hours of printing folding, stamping labeling etc….
Atlanta was one of the few major cities, which had no provision for
awards for valor for its members. Founding
member Floyd McRae presented the idea of an Awards Program to the Atlanta
Fire Department in 1965. Although
the officers accepted the idea, Department Chief C.H Hildebrand Jr. did
not accept it. After the
death of Chief Hildebrand in 1969, Floyd again presented the Awards
Program to new Department Chief Paul O. Williams.
The MFA MEDAL OF VALOR was established in 1970 and remains the
absolute highest award that can be won by a member of the Atlanta, Cobb
County, DeKalb County or Fulton County Fire Departments.
Its presentation is NOT limited to just these departments and we
encourage Georgia Department submittals to the address below.
The MFA MEDAL OF VALOR is awarded for actions above and beyond the
normal call of duty and for extraordinary heroism at extreme personnel
risk. The degree of heroism
would correspond to the Congressional Medal of Honor within the
military services. There is
no limit to the number of times the MFA Medal of Valor may be presented to
a specific individual. On the
other hand, although candidates for the MFA Medal of Valor may be
submitted annually, the award does not have to be awarded on an annual
basis. In addition, more than
one MFA Medal of Valor may be presented in any calendar year.
In one case, two Fulton, one Cobb and one Atlanta Firefighter all
were honored in one year. The
MFA has received several nominations on an annual basis over the last few
years however; none met the necessary criteria of the Selection Committee
until 1999.
The MFA Medal of Valor Selection Committee is made up of the
Department Chief of the department whose employee is nominated, a fire
department members of any rank representing the four departments who
consider this their highest award, three MFA members, and six noted
Atlantan’s who have no connection to the fire service.
Georgia Governor Roy Barnes presented the award to Atlanta
Firefighter Matt Mosley on 4 January 2000, for his daring air rescue of
crane operator Ivers Sims at the Fulton Bag and Cotton Mill fire that
occurred in April 1999. This was the first MFA Medal of Valor presented in 10 years.
Former Governor Joe Frank Harris last presented the MFA Medal of
Valor in 1989. This award
went to Atlanta Firefighter Wendell Porter following his dramatic rescue
of a 200+ pound victim in a house fire while assigned to Engine 38 in
September 1988. Since it was
established in 1970, this prestigious award has been presented only 14
times in thirty years. The
presentation of the MFA Medal of Valor to Firefighter Mosley shows that
the award program is very much alive.
It is now an intricate part of a much expanded award program
conducted by the City of Atlanta. Considering
that there was no award program at all for the AFD before the MFA
organized one in 1970, this is quite an accomplishment.
MFA members, as an organized Fire Buff Club have been
"chasing" fires for almost 30 years.
Many of the photos in department history "yearbooks" are
taken by these buffs. Very
few other professions have dedicated followers like fire fighting.
The fact that buffs are on the scene of major fires at all hours of
the day and night, in all kinds of weather, helps show this dedication to
their hobby and to the fire service.
Many exceptional photos have been missed over the years as MFA
members have thrown their cameras over their shoulders to help pull a hose
line, assist in removing victims, "plugging"
on an incoming engine or running to get equipment.
Chief Officers have used MFA members as "Runners" to pass
orders to various companies or pieces of equipment.
In some cases due to a rapidly deteriorating situation, these Fire
Buffs have been assigned to actually operate hose lines and deluge guns to
protect exposures and fight fire. We
have changed hundreds of air bottles on SCBA’s and helped companies
“taking up” roll and reload thousands of feet of hose.
Through this experience on the fire scene, the club recognized that
on many large fires, fatigue becomes critical and refreshments or meals
are needed for the operating crews.
Although canteen service has always been available from the
American Red Cross or Salvation Army, their response was frequently slow.
MFA Directors met with Department Chief William Hammer in early
1985 and asked if he would support an MFA operated Canteen operation for
the Firefighters. He agreed
there was a need for this service. The
MFA researched alarms and canteen operations in Memphis, Nashville,
Dallas, Shreveport, and St. Louis to name a few. We
determined the estimated cost and manpower needed for this undertaking.
The membership donated money to begin service.
Later in 1985, the MFA purchased a 1960 Ford Boyertown Canteen Unit
from the Box 54 Fire Buff Club in Teaneck, NJ.
This apparatus had been custom built as a canteen unit for the
Teaneck Fire Department. The
T.F.D. is on a 25-year replacement program and even though the 1960 truck
was in good mechanical condition with only 20,000 miles, it was declared
surplus. The Box 54 club was
delighted to see the truck continue to remain in the fire service and
supporting firefighters. MFA
member Paul Talbott and his wife Carol flew to New Jersey and drove the
truck back to Atlanta. MFA
members updated the apparatus and it went in service as FIELD SERVICE UNIT
880 on April 1, 1986. Primary
response area is the entire 131 Square Miles of the City of Atlanta. FSU-880 is dispatched as part of the 3rd Alarm or at any time
8 or more engines are working. It
can and has been Special Called to incidents of long duration.
FSU-880 is also available on Mutual Aid to the AFD neighbors.
We have worked incidents in Cobb County, Smyrna, Alpharetta,
Roswell, DeKalb County, Clayton County, East Point, College Park, Fulton
County, McDonough, Henry County, Jonesboro, Peachtree City, Coweta County,
Forsyth County, Canton and Gwinnett County.
MFA manpower has frequently assisted rehab operations on DeKalb
County Incident Support Unit-22.
We have driven as far away as the Diamond Carpet Mill fire in
Chatsworth in 1993 or to other outlying incidents via members privately
owned vehicles. The Canteen
is listed as an available resource for the Georgia Mutual Aid Group (GMAG),
and in the Metro Atlanta Fire Chief's Association "Mutual Aid"
reference manual. FSU-880 has
responded to as many as 25 calls in a year and as few as 6.
The canteen is housed at Atlanta Station 3 located at Phipps Plaza.
All personnel who respond are volunteers although the Atlanta Fire
Department Communications Division dispatches FSU-880.
With this service, the AFD actually again had some
“Volunteers" for the first time in over 100 years.
To support the cost of the Canteen Operation, the MFA produces an
Apparatus and Shift Calendar. This
is a full color calendar showing apparatus from the Metropolitan Atlanta
area. When we do get
good photos, we also have had apparatus from Columbus and Athens GA.
MFA members go station to station on all shifts selling these
beginning in late September. We
also have calendars at the Atlanta Fire Muster and they are available by
mail. These show the 24/48
and the 24/24 shift scheduled. The
MFA Apparatus and Shift Calendar has become quite popular on the military
bases since ours is one of the few in the country to show the 24/24
scheduled used by the Federal Fire Service. Fire Apparatus from throughout
the Metro Atlanta area are used and color action shots are on the cover.
With proceeds from calendar sales, the MFA has remained in sound
financial condition. Our
first year we were in a panic, wondering if we would ever sell the minimum
order of 1,000! Our
second year we sold out at 1500 and we are now selling almost 4,500 copies
per year. Early editions are
now considered collector’s items. We
have maintained our cost at $5 if hand delivered and $8 by mail.
The MFA applied and is now an Internal Revenue Service "tax
Exempt", 501-c3 approved organization.
We are also a registered corporation with the State of Georgia. Donations to the MFA are fully deductible on your
income taxes, as they are to any approved charitable group.
With
many departments in metro Atlanta, as well as nationally, going on "trunked"
800 MHz. radio systems, the days of listening to conventional scanners to
hear all the action dramatically changed.
Buffs, or "sparks" as they are called, began using pagers
to alert each other of fires. This
idea caught on rapidly and two of the larger systems now extend from north
of Portland Maine to Western Virginia.
East Coast Paging and New England Fire Notification Network sound
the alarm to several thousand subscribers every day.
With
a pager, you can be alerted to a fire while away from the radio, at work,
in meetings etc. The MFA
began to work with the Mountain News Network of Denver and their founder
Jim Richardson. He spent
hours on the phone "walking" us through the steps to get on
line. Since that time we have
assisted in helping Cleveland, Phoenix, St. Louis, Miami, Tampa, Raleigh,
New Orleans, Chattanooga, Nashville and Knoxville through the process of
establishing pager systems in those cities.
In
August 1993 the HOT NEWS ALERT NETWORK was placed in service.
This involves a system of alphanumeric pagers.
"Dispatchers" alert members of the Network to working
fires, pin in wrecks and other news events both locally and nationally on
the pager screens. The HNAN
is now cross connected to pager systems in LA & San Francisco,
California; Denver, Colorado, Portland Oregon, Seattle Washington,
Detroit, Michigan; Minneapolis, MN; Washington, DC; Virginia Beach, &
Richmond VA; Chattanooga, Nashville & Knoxville Tennessee; Tampa &
Miami Florida; Columbus, Ohio; Phoenix, New Orleans, Cleveland, Boston,
Greater New York, the 4-corners section of NW New Mexico; parts of
Kentucky, Etc. Many more of
these systems are coming on line so there are very few big fires or
emergencies that are not known about as they are occurring.
The HNAN is open to non-MFA members so if you are interested,
please call our Voice Mail dispatcher number at 404-817-FIRE, a free call
within the 678 - 404- or 770 Area Codes.
From outside those Area Codes we can be accessed nationally at
800-849-MFA-1 (800-849-6321).
Additionally, if you monitor a scanner or have access to working
fire information within the State of Georgia, we ask that you use these
two numbers to report your major emergency incidents wherever you are.
We need the input for the local as well as the national systems we
trade data with.
In September 1993, Department Chief David M. Chamberlin Sr.
appointed MFA Founding members Floyd W. McRae and Edward L. Milam III to
the position of Honorary Deputy Chief with the Atlanta Fire Department.
This was an extreme honor for these two original members.
Following Chief Chamberlin's retirement, Winston Minor was
appointed Chief of the Atlanta Fire Department. Chief Minor was extremely
familiar with the MFA having literally rolled hose and worked with the MFA
members for his entire career. Chief
Chamberlin had requested that the MFA be donated a surplus 1986 Chevrolet
Step Van for conversion as a replacement to the 1960 Field Service Unit
880. City bureaucracy had slowed the process of getting the truck
to the MFA prior to Chief Chamberlin’s retirement. Incoming Chief Minor immediately stepped in and assisted in
getting the paperwork completed and signed by Mayor Bill Campbell.
Keys to the 1986 were officially turned over to the MFA in March
1996. We researched the donated vehicle through several vendors and
unfortunately, the chassis was not strong enough to hold the weight of a
new canteen. The club
contracted with Super-1 in Conyers, Georgia for a new vehicle and sold the
former city truck which became known as "880 2B". The club is
now operates a "new" 1986 Chevrolet canteen vehicle which is a
great improvement to the tired but faithful 1960 unit.
The retired 1960, was the oldest piece of active apparatus of the
Atlanta Fire Department. Old
FSU-880 was not out of the fire business totally even yet.
It has been sold to an Atlanta Firefighter whose family runs a
Barbecue business in South Georgia. They
are using the apparatus for catering family reunions etc. providing BBQ
and "HOT" wings so it still has not totally left the fire
family!!
During the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games held in Atlanta during
July 1996, the MFA again supported the fire service through volunteer
members working as Venue dispatchers for ACOG, the Atlanta Committee for
the Olympic Games. Field
Service Unit 880 was called to the scene of the Centennial Olympic Park
bombing. The Fulton
County Emergency Management office asked us to assist the Federal, State
and Local law enforcement officers and officials who were conducting an
extensive investigation immediately following the tragic bombing which
resulted in two deaths and 111 serious injuries. The MFA also operated the pager system for the Georgia Mutual
Aid Group during this time and more recently for the Florida Wildfires
Operations during the summer of 1998.
Other pager duties we have handled include the rash of thunderstorm
related fires in July 1999; assisted during the "unknown hours"
as we entered Year 2,000 and responded GMAG Task Forces for the huge East
Point GA Warehouse fire where 16 departments responded and worked.
This in itself says how important the Fire Service feels the MFA is
to their overall efficiency and operation.
For
their dedication to assist the Atlanta Fire Department during the annual
Metro Atlanta Fire Safety and Apparatus Show, Department as well as other
assistance to the AFD, Chief Winston Minor bestowed Honorary Battalion
Chief Status on MFA members Chris Clune,
Carolyn Ann Larkin and Dave Williams.
This was done at Atlanta Station 26.
During the annual Atlanta Fire Department Award ceremonies at
Atlanta City Hall, Bill Delmar also was made an Honorary Battalion Chief.
Although fire buffing is considered by some to be an unusual hobby,
the fire scene photography and the historical facts gathered and kept by
these buffs is of extremely value when departments compile history books.
The members of the Metropolitan Fire Association of Atlanta,
Georgia consider it a great privilege to be associated with, accepted by
various fire departments in the Metro Atlanta area
Officers for 2002 - 2003 are:
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