In the year 1899, the department made its first inspections of electrical installations in San Francisco being constructed or in the course of repair.
Greenwood, Superintendent of the Fire Alarm and Police Telegraph said:Ī careful study during the past year reveals the fact that, out of the one hundred and nine actual fires that have occurred, fully two-thirds of the alarms have been struck before any appearance of the fire could be seen from the top of the City Hall. Be sure your box is locked before leaving it. Never signal for a fire seen at a distance. Never open the box or touch the crank, except in case of fire. If you still near no alarm, go to the next box and given the alarm from that. Upon the discovery of a fire near your signal box, turn the crank slowly and steadily about 25 or 30 times, then wait a few moments, and, if you hear no ticking in the box, or alarm on the bells, turn as before. A typical set of directions for the proper use of the fire alarm boxes of the day is given below: The complete system consisted of only thirty seven miles of wire. The system was put into operation on April 24, 1865, and Charles A Stearns was its first superintendent. Kennard and Co., of Boston, to furnish the City of San Francisco with a complete fire and police telegraph system for the sum of $24,000. In May 1864, James Street entered into a contract with Messers. Up until that time the fire alarms were run from the old bell tower at 9 Brenham Place, which was located at Portsmouth Square. Many years ago when San Francisco was still in its youth, on Octoto be exact, David Scannell, then Chief of the S.F.F.D., took the occasion to thank the Board of Supervisors for its prompt action in drawing to completion the plans for the Fire Alarm and Police Telegraph.
The story of how the fire engines are dispatched to a fire will, I believe, prove interesting to the reader who will endeavor to bear with us while we present this treatise. Many of us, I am sure, have often seen the fire apparatus rushing to the scene of a conflagration many too, perhaps, have often taken this same action for granted. Almost every day of their lives, they see some phase of our city government in operation. The people living in our great city take many things for granted.
How the Fire Alarm Telegraph is Worked - 1877įire Alarm Operations during the Great Earthquake and Fire - 1906Ĭonstruction of The Central Fire Alarm Station - 1912įire Alarm Operations during the 1989 Earthquake Fire Alarm Operations during the Oakland FirestormĪ HISTORY AND DISCUSSION OF THE FIRE ALARM
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