WPBFD History

In 1948 the City of West Palm Beach passed its first million dollar budget. In 1928 the budget had approached that level, but the great depression and World War II had forced cutbacks during the twenty-year economic slump. 1949 On the night of June 19, 1949, Assistant Chief Ray Larrabee drove T-42 into West Palm Beach with a proud grin on his face. The new apparatus, built by Maxim at a cost of $25,000, was considered state of the art. Larrabee picked-up the truck in Middleboro, Massachusetts and drove it to West Palm Beach in four-and-a-half days. He was delayed numerous times at fire departments along the way by firemen wanting to see the truck. Larrabee would sound the horn as he passed through towns along the way causing residents to stare at the huge truck with a tempo- rary bicycle horn. A real siren was to be installed in West Palm Beach. Old 42, retired from service in the 1980s, is today owned and maintained by the West Palm Beach Fraternal Order of Firefighters. It is still an awesome sight when used in parades and other exhibitions. The West Palm Beach Firemen's Benevolent Asso-

their two week vacation.

On Friday, June 25, 1948, the new Central Fire Sta- tion at 2nd Street and North Dixie Highway opened. At completion, the station was merely a shell. The interior was in an unfinished state and would, for the most part, remain so until it was demolished in 1980. The men had been busy "sprucing up" by painting Chief Sadler's an- tique desk and all personnel received a complete set of new uniforms supplied by the city. The new headquarters station was two stories in height with a mezzanine for offices located on the east end of the building midway between floors. The truck room had four apparatus bays opening onto North Dixie Highway and two small bays for automobiles opening onto 2nd Street. A watch office for communication of alarms was located on the north side of the truck room. Two poles allowed firemen quick access from the second floor living quarters to the truck room floor. The old Central Station that the early volunteers had worked so hard to build in 1905 was sold to Clemco, Inc. The building was renovated into a store and offices. It is still standing today on the northeast corner of Datura Street and South Dixie Highway.

Men of the Department 1949 taken at retirement of Chief Sadler. Note new T-42 in background. Back Row: P.B. Grice, A.O. Yingling, E.E. Newman, C.L. Smith, Red Howze, Capt. Sloan, J. Sloan, Bud Smith, Roy New- man,Cye Reeves. Partial Row: Dave Polk, Marvin Schwall, F.B. Maynard. Middle Row: Burnie Norton, M.J. Sachs,T.W. Treadwell, Speck Moore, Capt. J.C. Cook, Wickie Schwall, Chief. A.P. Sadler, Capt. J. Stewart, Austin Bennett, R.D. Booth, W.M. Lambert, Capt. E.R. Powers, Capt. J.I. Cook, L.E. Hoffman,Dub Pagan. Front Row: E. Purdom, Billy Minter, Pat Patterson, Francis Miller, LaMont Albertson, A/C Tessier, A/C Lar- rabee, A/C Witherspoon,, George Glenn, Cecil Hull, James West, Charlie Buice 4