WPBFD History

ing was obtained through the federal Work Project Ad- ministration designed to provide a stimulus to the national economy. 1937 The old South Borough

had been lowered from $1,944 to $1,380. Other positions in the city had taken comparable pay cuts. Fire losses for 1935-36 were only $14,955.26. 1936 In 1936 there

Fire Station at Kenil- worth and South Dixie Highway was replaced in 1937. The new sta- tion was relocated sev- eral blocks south to the 400 block of Southern Boulevard. The floor plan was identical to the new North Borough Station except that the plans had been re-

were 27,000 residents in the City of West Palm Beach, but its financial position was the darkest ever. Taxpayers re- ceived some relief with a homestead exemption that was put into effect that year. West Palm Beach became the first city in the county to be declared bankrupt by the federal court.

versed. This new facil- ity was also funded by the W.P.A. Both of these stations are still in operation today (1994). Fire losses were $10,327.32 for the 1936-37 fiscal year. The most disastrous fire in years occurred on the night of October 31, 1937. South Borough Fire Station received the alarm reporting a fire in the Club Savoy on Gregory Road at 9:01 p.m. Flames were "shooting through the roof" of the doomed building when the first

The new North Borough Fire Station (photo taken 1950s).

Fire losses were $6,810.67 for the 1935-36 fiscal year. This figure was the lowest fire loss recorded for the city since 1918. On November 11, 1936, an unusual birthday cele- bration was held at the fire department. The old 1911 American LaFrance type 10 truck, the first gasoline pow- ered vehicle purchased by the department, was twenty- five years old. It had been spruced-up with a new paint

units arrived minutes later. The absence of fire hydrants in the im- mediate area made the job of extinguishment more difficult. About 11:30 p.m., as firemen were overhaul- ing what little remained of the wood frame structure, a charred body was discovered near a window at the east end. The remains were identified as that of Alden B. Perry, a 59

job and now had pneu- matic tires instead of solid rubber, but it still had to be started with a hand crank. Serving as the "heavy artillery" of the department, the high pressure truck was believed to be the old- est American LaFrance of its type still in ser- vice. The name plate bore the number "66" which indicated it was the sixty-sixth truck

turned-out by the com- pany. In 1912 the truck had made the famous 42 mile run to Ft. Lauderdale in 47 min- utes to assist in that city's disastrous fire.

year-old caretaker of the club. He had fallen asleep with a cigarette in his small bedroom and been unable to escape the fire. Damage was estimated at $12,000. 1938

The new South Borough Fire Station (photo taken 1950s).

The old North Borough Fire Station at 35th Street and North Dixie Highway was torn down in 1936. A new two-story station was constructed on the same lot. Fund-

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