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Seattle Fire Department Public Information Officer Records, 1915-1993

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Seattle (Wash.). Fire Dept.
Title
Seattle Fire Department Public Information Officer Records
Dates
1915-1993 (inclusive)
1964-1993 (bulk)
Quantity
4.4 cubic feet, (13 boxes)
Collection Number
2801-15
Summary
Records from the Seattle Fire Department's Public Information Office.
Repository
Seattle Municipal Archives
Seattle Municipal Archives
Office of the City Clerk
City of Seattle
PO Box 94728
98124-4728
Seattle, WA
Telephone: 2062337807
Fax: 2063869025
archives@seattle.gov
Access Restrictions

Records are open to the public.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for processing this record series was provided through a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
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Historical Note

A Fire Department was established by City Charter in 1883. It provided for equipment purchases, but not for hiring of firefighters. Following the Great Fire of 1889, a professional fire department was created with five district fire stations and purchase of a fire boat. The first Fire Chief of the professional department was Gardner Kellogg who served 1890-1892 and 1895-1901. A Board of Fire Commissioners was established by the 1890 City Charter to prescribe rules and regulations for the Department. The Board's responsibilities included enforcing rules violations, and appointing the Fire Chief and all subordinate officers. The Board was abolished with passage of a new City Charter in 1896. The position of Fire Marshall was established in 1901 with responsibility for inspecting buildings to insure they were in compliance the ordinances related to building construction and fire protection. The Fire Marshall also inspects all fires and reports on the causes. The Department's mission is to curtail loss of life and property by fire through inspection and certification of building safety systems, public education, regulation of hazardous material storage, and fire suppression.

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Content Description

Records from the Public Information Officer documenting the activities of the Seattle Fire Department from the 1960s through the late 1980s. The collection includes press releases dating from the 1960s through the 1980s, graduation ceremony programs and planning records, fire station dedication and rededication records, as well as memos from various fire chiefs, citizen complaints and responses, and information on fire safety films. Of particular interest are records pertaining to the investigation and subsequent arrest of Paul Kenneth Keller for various arson fires in 1992-1993. This series also includes promotional activity between the SFD and the Seattle Sounders soccer team from the early 1980s, as well as records from the Seattle Fire Buff Society, the Forward Thrust campaign and a letter from the public relations division to Mrs. Gordon Vickery, the wife of Chief Vickery.

Three early 20th century photographs (ca. 1915) are also included in the collection, showcasing apparatus and firefighters. One photograph is identified as having been taken on Third Avenue and Pine Street, near the Fischer Building. Also of interest are photographs of training activities, women in the fire department, photographic portraits of Chiefs Frank Hanson, Jack Richards and Claude Harris, construction of stations 19, 29 and 36, and fire boat photographs and negatives, as well as night inspections of downtown alleyways and business from the 1960s.

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Use of the Collection

Preferred Citation

[Item and date], Seattle Fire Department Public Information Officer Records, Record Series 2801-15 . Box [number], Folder [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives.

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Administrative Information

Separated Materials

Publications were removed and added to the Published Documents collection.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Arson--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Fire chiefs--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Fire engines--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Fire fighters--Washington (State)--Seattle

Corporate Names

  • Seattle (Wash.). Fire Dept.

Geographical Names

  • Seattle (Wash.).

Finding aid prepared by Linnet Blumenthal
2010

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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