Platoon chief recalls past
By ERNIE LEE of The Free Press
It was three degrees below zero that night in December, 1950 when the fire alarm rang at No. 5 station.
Stewart Smith, then a captain, was the first officer to arrive at the fire on Helena Street. The small home was a torch and the screams of children could be heard from the building as an hysterical mother tried in vain to save them.
Five children died in the blaze, caused by an exploding space heater. The parents and three other children escaped.
Platoon Chief Smith recalls that as his worst memory after nearly 47 years as a fireman. Monday night he retired after serving longer on the force than any one else.
Chief Smith said there was nothing that could be done for the fire victims as the home was enveloped in flames and to add to the frustration, the closest hydrant was frozen.
Chief Smith also remembers well the Hunt Mill fire in 1934 which claimed the lives of two officers who became trapped in the building. He had worked the day shift but was called back to duty soon after he arrived home. He spent the night fighting that blaze and returned on his next shift before the fire was under control.
When Chief Smith joined the department in 1924 there were less than 70 men on strength and they worked 72 hours a week. Today there are 261 men and the work week is 42 hours.
In those days, equipment had been motorized but one horse was kept for delivering supplies to the five halls about town. Since he became a fireman, Chief Smith has served under seven chiefs of the department.
Firefighting today is much different than it was four decades ago, he points out. Fire prevention and better training with more fire protected buildings have all helped to keep the fire losses down.
Chief Smith was honored Monday at a dinner given by all the men on his platoon.
