Seattle Fire Marshal Subject Files, 1951-1993

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Seattle (Wash.). Fire Dept.
Title
Seattle Fire Marshal Subject Files
Dates
1951-1993 (inclusive)
1964-1979 (bulk)
Quantity
3.4 cubic feet, (9 boxes)
Collection Number
2810-08
Summary
Records from the Office of the Fire Marshal.
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.

Historical NoteReturn to Top

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 Marshal 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 Marshal 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.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Records relating to the office of the Fire Marshal including information on diverse topics such as building inspections, Seattle's 1974 comprehensive policy plan, urban renewal, false fire alarms and fire incident summaries throughout the mid 1960s. Of particular interest are the files on the Central Area community during the late 1960s. These records document civil disturbances, racial tensions and groups such as the Black Panthers, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and the Seattle Rumor Center. Also of interest are records pertaining to the planning of the King County Domed Stadium (the Kingdome) and earthquake damage reports/assessments related to the April 29, 1965, earthquake.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

[Item and date], Fire Marshal Subject Files, Record Series 2810-08. Box [number], Folder [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

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

2810-08:  Seattle Fire Marshal Subject Files, 1951-1993Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/1
Accident Prevention and Investigation Board
1979
1/2
Battalion Inspector - Proposals
1975-1967
1/3
Building Department - Abatement Committee
1968
1/4
Building Department - Abatement Committee
1969-1970
1/5
Building Department - Administrative Rulings
1976
1/6
Building Department - Construction Projects High Rise Buildings - General
1966-1970
1/7
Building Department - Construction Projects High Rise Buildings - General
1970-1972
1/8
Building Department - Construction Projects High Rise Buildings - General - Newspaper Clippings
1966-1970
1/9
Building Department - General Information
1962-1971
1/10
Building Department - High Rise Buildings - Federal Office Building
1971-1974
1/11
Budget
1979
1/12
Central Area Community - Fire Department Injuries, Damages
1968-1969
1/13
Central Area Community - Fire Department Injuries, Damages - Newspaper Clipping
1968
1/14
Central Area Community - Fire Department Injuries, Damages - Prints
1968-1969
1/15
Central Area Community - Fire Suspects
1968
1/16
Central Area Community - Fires
1968-1970
1/17
Central Area Community - Fires - Newspaper Clipping
1968-1970
1/18
Central Area Community - Instructions to Fire Prevention Division
1968
1/19
Central Area Community - Intelligence Seattle Fire Department Reports
1968-1970
1/20
Central Area Community - Police Department Communications
1967-1968
1/21
Comprehensive Policy Plan
1974
2/1
Corporation Counsel
1975
2/2
Disasters - Earthquake Damage
1965
2/3
Disasters - Earthquake Damage - Newspaper Clippings
1965
2/4
Disasters - Earthquake Damage - Prints
1965
2/5
Disasters - Earthquake Incidents
1971
2/6
Disasters - Earthquake Letters
1965
2/7
Disasters - Earthquake Reports
1965
2/8
Emergency Helipads
1975
2/9
Emergency Service Elevators
1970
2/10
Executive Department - Model Cities Program
1968-1969
2/11
Executive Department - Lake Union Action Program
1971
2/12
Executive Department - Lake Union Action Program - Prints
1971
2/13
Financial Center - 1201 4th Avenue
1969-1971
2/14
Financial Center - 1201 4th Avenue - Newspaper Clipping
1969-1971
2/15
Fire Alarm Systems - Hospital-City Connection
1972
2/16
Fire Alarm Systems - Hospital-City Connection - Prints
1972
2/17
Fire Code Advisory Board
1957-1972
2/18
Fire Incident Summary
1964
2/19
Fire Incident Summary
1965
2/20
Fire Incident Summary
1966
2/21
Fire Incident Summary
1967
2/22
Fire Incident Summary
1968
2/23
Fire Incident Summary
1969
3/1
Fire Incident Summary
1970
3/2
Fire Incident Summary
1971
3/3
Fire Incident Summary
1972
3/4
Fire Marshals' Association Sectional Committee
1966-1968
3/5
Fire Marshals' Association Sectional Committee
1968-1970
3/6
Fire Plan - Hospitals
1968
3/7
Fire Plan - Seattle Post Intelligencer
1970
3/8
Fire Plan - Space Needle Restaurant
1968
3/9
Fire Prevention Code Advisory Board
1974
3/10
Fire Prevention Division - Activities Report
1971
3/11
Fire Prevention Division - Activities Report
1972
3/12
Fire Prevention Division - Annual Report
1969
3/13
Fire Prevention Division - Annual Report - Prints
1969
3/14
Fire Prevention Division - Annual Report
1970
3/15
Fire Prevention Division - Annual Report
1976
3/16
Fire Prevention Division - Recruit School Training Outline
1975
3/17
Fire Protection Installations - Hospitals and Nursing Homes
1965
3/18
Fire Protection Installations - Hospitals and Nursing Homes
1966
3/19
Fire Protection Installations - Hospitals and Nursing Homes - Newspaper Clippings
1966
3/20
Fire Protection Installations - Hospitals and Nursing Homes
1966-1968
3/21
Fire Protection Installations - Hospitals and Nursing Homes
1967
3/22
Fire Protection Installations - Hospitals and Nursing Homes
1969-1970
3/23
Fire Protection Installations - Hospitals and Nursing Homes - Newspaper Clippings
1969-1970
3/24
Fire Protection Installations - Piers
1951-1966
3/25
Fire Protection Installations - Piers - Prints
1951-1966
3/26
Fire Protection Installations - Piers
1967
4/1
Fire Protection Installations - Piers - Prints (Todds Shipyard)
1967
4/2
Fire Protection Installations - Piers
1968
4/3
Fire Protection Installations - Piers
1969
4/4
Fire Protection Installations - Piers - Prints
1969
4/5
Fire Protection Installations - Piers
1971
4/6
Fires - Deaths by Fire
1965-1967
4/7
Fires - Railroad Fires
1966-1967
4/8
Fires - Railroad Fires - Prints
1966-1967
4/9
Fires - Schools
1968-1969
4/10
Fires - University of Washington
1969-1970
4/11
Fireworks
1969
4/12
Fireworks - Newspaper Clipping
1969
4/13
Fireworks
1970
4/14
Floating Homes
1971-1972
4/15
Floating Homes
1973-1974
4/16
Friends of Medic I
1988
4/17
Hospital Fire Alarm Systems
1975
4/18
In-Service Training
1964-1965
4/19
In-Service Training
1966
4/20
In-Service Training
1967
4/21
Inspection Programs - Spot-Check Program
1966
4/22
Inspection Programs - Sprinkler Installations
1965-1971
4/23
Inspection Programs - Supermarkets
1960
5/1
Inspection Programs - University of Washington Fraternities and Sororities
1961-1971
5/2
Inspection Programs - University of Washington Fraternities and Sororities - Newspaper Clipping
1961-1971
5/3
Inspections - State License
1969-1972
5/4
King County Domed Stadium
1969-1971
5/5
King County Domed Stadium
1971-1972
5/6
King County Domed Stadium
1972
5/7
King County Domed Stadium
1972
5/8
King County Domed Stadium - Newspaper Clipping
1972
5/9
Law Department - Civil Suits
1969
5/10
Law Department - False Alarms
1963-1971
5/11
Law Department - Fees
1971
5/12
Law Department - Fire Hose Act
1970
5/13
Law Department - Funes and Oziel Fire
1974-1976
5/14
Law Department - Investigations - Miscellaneous
1967-1970
5/15
Law Department - Legislative Change Proposals
1964-1974
5/16
Law Department - Smokeproof Enclosures
1971
5/17
Law Department - Smokeproof Enclosures - Prints
1971
5/18
Law Department - Subpoenas
1966-1967
5/19
Law Department - Warrants
1963-1968
6/1
Office of Policy Planning
1975-1976
6/2
Ordinances
1969-1978
6/3
Ordinances - State Laws
1972-1977
6/4
Plan Reviews
1971
6/5
Plan Reviews
1971
6/6
Plan Reviews
1972
6/7
Plan Reviews
1972
6/8
Port of Seattle - Boat Moorage Fire Prevention
1965
6/9
Port of Seattle - Dominion Monarch (Floating Hotel)
1962
6/10
Port of Seattle - Harbor Permits Special Wording
1970
6/11
Port of Seattle - Oil Deliveries on Piers
1962-1969
6/12
Port of Seattle - Piers-Maintenance
1966-1971
6/13
Port of Seattle - Piers-Maintenance - Newspaper Clippings
1966-1971
6/14
Port of Seattle - United States Coast Guard Communications
1963-1969
6/15
Resolution 25011 - Structure-Related Codes
1976
6/16
School and Fire-Safety Education Presentations
1965-1966
6/17
School and Fire-Safety Education Presentations
1966-1967
7/1
School and Fire-Safety Education Presentations - Newspaper Clipping
1966-1967
7/2
School and Fire-Safety Education Presentations - Prints
1966-1967
7/3
Seattle Center - Coliseum Floor Plans
1972-1973
7/4
Self- Service Gasoline
1971-1972
7/5
Self- Service Gasoline - Newspaper Clipping
1971-1972
7/6
Self- Service Gasoline
1972-1976
7/7
Snohomish-King County Arson Task Force
1993
7/8
State Building Code Proposals
1970-1971
7/9
State Transient Accomodation Law
1971-1972
7/10
Street Closures - Temporary
1979
7/11
Survey Materials from Other North American Cities
1963
7/12
Transient Accomodations
1978
7/13
University of Washington Football
1968-1969
7/14
University of Washington - University District Incidents
1968-1970
7/15
University of Washington - University District Incidents - Newspaper Clippings
1968-1970
8/1
Urban Renewal - Blighted Areas
1961-1962
8/2
Urban Renewal - Pike Place Market
1968-1971
8/3
Urban Renewal - Pike Place Plaza
1968-1971
8/4
Urban Renewal - Pioneer Square
1965-1972
8/5
Urban Renewal - Pioneer Square Historical District Task Force
1972-1974
8/6
Urban Renewal - South Seattle
1960-1967
8/7
Urban Renewal - University-Northlake
1962-1963
8/8
Urban Renewal - Yesler-Atlantic
1967-1969
8/9
Water Department - Rates
1975
8/10
Miscellaneous Prints - Fires, Equipment and Potential Hazards
1964-1969
8/11
Tacoma Hospital Fire - Negatives
1965

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Building inspection--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Central District (Seattle, Wash.)
  • Civil rights movements--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Earthquake damage --Washington (State)--Seattle
  • False alarms--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Fire prevention--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Kingdome (Seattle, Wash.)

Corporate Names

  • Seattle (Wash.). Fire Dept.
  • Seattle (Wash.). Fire Marshal

Geographical Names

  • Seattle (Wash.).