WPBFD History

1984 In late 1983 and early 1984 firefighters across the state had one thing on their minds; for that matter, all public employees were concerned. In November of 1984, Proposition 1 was to be on the ballot. If passed, it would have a devastating effect not only on the West Palm Beach Fire Department, but on all government agencies in the state. The proposed change in the Florida Constitu- tion would limit all revenue collected by a governmental agency with taxing authority to 1980-81 fiscal year levels. A slight adjustment was allowed for inflation, but the roll- back would mean severe changes for the fire department. The City of West Palm Beach forecasted the following changes if the proposition passed: DEPARTMENT Fire

The 59 year old man was lying on the sidewalk when fire units arrived. He was quickly transported to Good Sa- maritan Hospital by the Fire Medics and later transferred to Jackson Memorial Burn Center in Miami. Hansen died at 10:05 that night. The pawn shop was heavily damaged in the fire. The arson/murder was investigated by Fire Inspector Jerry W. Catoe and Kevin Nelms was eventu- ally charged with the crime. The Tuesday afternoon of April 11, 1984, was clear, but northwesterly winds gusting to thirty miles per hour had everyone holding onto their hat. Tom Kelsey had just finished his meal at the Ramada on the Green Restaurant on Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard. As he walked to his car in the parking lot he noticed a fire in a pile of boxes next to the dumpster at the rear kitchen entrance. A cook began to douse the flames with a garden hose, but fire had al- ready found its way into the eaves of the building and the fire was well underway. The alarm was received at 2:07 p.m. Company 5 arrived minutes later as some fifty occupants dashed for safety. Captain Charles Clyne saw no fire indication until his company entered the kitchen. The kitchen ceiling was pulled down by firefighters to reveal extensive fire in the hidden ceiling area. Even at this early point there was little that could be done to save the building. Additional companies were requested to prepare master streams as the interior of the building erupted in flames. It was to be

BUDGET REDUCTION $926,000 JOBS ELIMINATED 52 Fulltime

Fire Station 4 would be closed. One Company would be moved from Central Station to the new Fire Station 6 to be constructed this year west of I-95. Manpower would be reduced at the other stations. One Fire Inspector, The Chief of Training Officer positions would be eliminated. One Emergency Medical Service

a defensive attack, and true to Alan Brunacini's tactical truth, "when the pipe goes up, the building comes down." High winds fanned the fire making hose streams seem to- tally inadequate. Bystanders jumped back several times as explosions rocked the building. Golfers on the nearby course kept playing, their eyes stinging from the acrid smoke that bil- lowed horizontally across the fairways making the adjacent par 5 hole a par 6. At 2:47 p.m. the roof collapsed and minutes later the front wall fell into the park- ing lot sending bricks and burn- ing pieces of wood sliding across the asphalt. Within an hour the building was reduced to rubble. Firefighters remained on the scene all night wetting down debris. The fire was quickly dubbed "Ramada on the Ground" by weary firefighters. There was only one minor in-

unit would be cut, including five fulltime EMT positions. Average response time to a fire would increase from two to eight minutes, proba- bly causing fire insurance rates to increase. And, us- ing this as an average to figure, we can assume that a five minute response time would become twenty, and so on. Proposition 1 never came to the voters. The Florida Supreme Court removed it from the ballot in March of 1984. The most heinous arson in West Palm Beach occurred on January 4, 1984. Robert Hansen, a retired City of West Palm Beach employee, was working part time at the 507 Swap Shop on 15th Street. Three men en- tered the store, doused Hansen with gasoline, and then set him on fire in an aborted robbery.

507 Swap Shop fire. 5