Works
Tempered by Fire: History of the Berkeley Fire Department
The book traces the history of the Berkeley Fire Department from its beginnings when residents banded together to try to save each other’s property to the present-day state-of-the-art fire department. It offers lessons learned from fighting fires, including the urban/wildland fire 1923 fire and the 1993 Oakland/Berkeley firestorm.
In 1915, Berkeley became the first fully mechanized fire department west of the Mississippi under the leadership of first fire chief James Kenney. It was also the second fire department in the country to adopt the two-platoon, or two-shift, system. Kenney’s successor, G. Sidney Rose, was one of the first chiefs in the country to purchase an inhalator for use by a rescue squad, and this was later used on fire engines.
In 1915, Berkeley became the first fully mechanized fire department west of the Mississippi under the leadership of first fire chief James Kenney. It was also the second fire department in the country to adopt the two-platoon, or two-shift, system. Kenney’s successor, G. Sidney Rose, was one of the first chiefs in the country to purchase an inhalator for use by a rescue squad, and this was later used on fire engines.