To start off my FDIC International 2024, I spent a day going around the city to look at one of the Indianapolis (IN) Fire Department’s newest rigs, one of its newest stations, and then took a trip back in time at the Indianapolis Firefighters Museum.
At each stop, respect for the past as well as pride in the present was clear. At Ladder 10, Captain Van Sant, a 38 year veteran and third-generation IFD member, took me around Ladder 10’s 2023 Pierce Arrow XT 100-foot rear-mount platform. He proudly spoke about how a Ladder 10 member crafted all the tool mounts and custom shelving for the rig, about his own contributions to the truck, and the ladder company’s designation as a light rescue. Ladder 10 is in a busy part of town and its fire duty is high. The unit was out of service for my tour, and given the frequency of its runs, I tried to take care of business quickly because I didn’t want to stand between Ladder 10’s crew and a working job.
In a hallway between the truck bays and the living area, a tribute to Ladder 10’s fallen heroes graced the wall, recognizing the sacrifices of those who have gone before them. We’ll post a video covering Ladder 10 soon.
Station 3 opened in 2019. This was the third station for Engine 3 and the Battalion, but the first one built on different grounds. Battalion Chief Trevor Hanshew, a 30-year veteran of the department and who was assigned to Station 3 as a captain during the transition between facilities, took me through the facility. Hanshew spoke about how important firefighter health and safety was as they designed the new station and throughout the facility, there are items from the previous station, preserving its history.
A trip to a firehouse isn’t complete without an experience at the kitchen table, and I thank all the members of Station 3 for their hospitality in inviting me to lunch. We ate at a table dedicated to the memory of Raymond F. Moore and Jerry A. Poole who died in the line of duty in 1973. We’ll post a video covering Station 3 soon.
Finally I made it over to the Indianapolis Firefighters Museum where Battalion Chief Howard Stahl was waiting to take me through what was originally the department’s Station 2. More than a museum, the facility also houses Local 416 and the Survive Alive Village where children can learn about fire safety and what to do if there is a fire in their home.
The museum features an Indy Shop-built Stutz rig, two factory-built Stutz rigs and hundreds of other pieces from the department’s history, including helmet shields and other tools that were produced by the IFD’s shops during what Stahl referred to as “the lean years.”
I can’t think of a better way of starting FDIC International 2024 than spending time at the facilities and with the equipment and personnel who are so important to FDIC’s success. And, I send a special thank you to Battalion Chief/Director of Media Relations MPIO Rita Reith for organizing my stops.
