WPBFD History

opened. The barricades had actually delayed response by fire units to an alarm at 524-33rd Street in June. Residents of Northwood seemed to be about equally divided on the issue. They were also equally vocal in attacking those with the opposite view. Twenty-year old Jose Gonzalez made a heroic res- cue when his neighbor's home erupted in flames July 11, 1990. Kathy Waters, a quadriplegic living at 735 New Jersey Street, was trapped in her bedroom by the fire. Gonzalez heard her screams for help and smashed through a glass door to pull the woman to safety. Fire- fighters quickly extinguished the fire as paramedics treated the two victims for smoke inhalation. Gonzalez and eight other citizens were honored at the annual Fire Department Awards in October. Living boundaries had been in effect for firefighters for decades. The northern boundary was the Palm Beach/ Martin County Line while the southern boundary was the Boynton Canal. The western boundary followed a zigzag pattern which included Loxahatchee. The boundaries had been instituted before I-95 and other major roads had been constructed and by the 1990s they made little sense when call-back response times were considered. The rule had not been enforced over the years and many firefight- ers were living in areas as far away as Okeechobee, Mi- ami, and Port St. Lucie. Some members of the department had wanted to challenge the living boundary rule for years, but thought it might be better to leave well-enough alone. The rule hung like a ominous cloud on the horizon, threatening to erupt into a storm if certain conditions developed. In- terim Chief Widing decided it would be wise to finally bury the out-dated rule and on July 19, 1990, the living boundary restrictions were officially rescinded. Firefighting is a dangerous profession, but a fire on August 31, 1990, presented more dangers than usual. Everything appeared normal as Engine 41 arrived report- ing smoke showing in the single story building located at 836 Belvedere Road. A quick-attack using positive pres- sure ventilation and a leader line extinguished the fire, but Lieutenant Robert W. Bothe discovered two liquid pro- pane tanks and an oxygen tank with open valves and their contents free-flowing into the interior of the building. The building had been a time bomb waiting for the right gas-air mixture. Inspector Wendy S. McCown later deter- mined the fire to have been deliberately set. The West Palm Beach Fire Department Investigating Committee submitted its report October 9, 1990, more than two months late. The report was presented to City Manager Ronald Schutta by Chairman Percy Lee. There were thirty-three recommendations in the document, which included: Ensure that a complete copy of fire employ-

We, the members of the West Palm Beach Fire Department, dedicate ourselves to the pro- tection and preservation of the community from the effects of fire, medical emergency, and natu- ral or man-made disaster. Later in the month the Justice Department filed a federal lawsuit against the City of West Palm Beach for discriminating against white males. Several commission- ers wanted to fight the suit despite recommendations from city attorneys to accept a settlement. Assistant City Attor- ney Liz McBride said, "It is illegal to bar anyone from employment based on race, and the facts show the city did that." Under the proposed settlement, the city would offer three white men jobs in the fire department and offer five other white men jobs and back pay in amounts ranging from $2,300 to $15,100. The city eventually accepted set- tlement in late 1990. Firefighters still had a job to do in spite of the inves- tigations. At 5:23 on the stormy afternoon of June 23 the alarm reported a structure fire at South Olive Elementary School, 7101 South Olive Avenue. Engine 21 arrived at that location but could find no evidence of a fire. As En- gine 41, the cover unit, crossed the Southern Boulevard overpass they observed smoke coming from Southboro Elementary School on Ogston Street. The police officer who found the fire had given the wrong school name when he called dispatch. The fire had gained substantial headway by the time it was correctly located, but the de- lay probably had little effect on the final outcome. Engine 41, under the command of Lieutenant Jay I. French, arrived first and made a valiant effort to enter the building through the front door after setting-up positive pressure ventilation. When Battalion Chief Richard M. O'Brien assumed command, the interior attack was aban- doned and defensive positions established using master streams. Fire soon vented through the roof, lighting the overcast sky in an orange glow that could be seen for miles. It would take another two hours and 324,000 gal- lons of water before the fire ground commander gave an "under control" to dispatch. Units remained on the scene throughout the night mopping-up. Due to the severe structural damage an investigation into the cause was postponed until the next morning. In- spector Wendy S. McCown was then able to determine that the fire had resulted from a lightning strike as a thun- derstorm passed through the area. A major battle was taking place in the Northwood neighborhood of West Palm Beach in 1990. Residents, fed-up with crime in the aging district, had talked the city into erecting barriers along Broadway to keep traffic off side streets. After a six-month trial period the police de- partment, traffic engineers, city legal staff, and the fire department all recommended that the streets be re-

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