Guide to the Archives of the City of Seattle

Record Group 2800
Fire Department

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.

2800-01
Board of Fire Commissioners Minutes
1890-1896
1 volume

Proceedings of Board meetings. The Board was established by the Charter of 1890 with responsibility of overseeing and regulating the City's first professional fire department.

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2801-01
Chief's General Correspondence
1894-1928
11 volumes

Correspondence relating to Fire Department activities. Includes information on equipment needs and purchases, department budget, code violations, assessments of station sites, equipment and apparatus evaluations, and personnel matters. Volume covering June 1918 to September 1920 is missing.

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Volume List

2801-02
Chief's Intradepartmental Memoranda
1895-1917
3.0 cubic feet

Correspondence and memoranda from the Fire Chief relating to personnel actions including reprimands, promotions, hiring and firing. Also includes memoranda to other departments and Fire Marshall's notices of fire code violations.

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2801-03
Central Files
1904-1983
15.0 cubic feet

Central file maintained by Department administration. Includes correspondence, reports, and equipment files related to Department activities. Topics include arson, civil defense, pension fund, fire prevention, fireboats, and emergency services, among others. Arranged by subject.

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Folder List

2801-04
Apparatus Records
1900-1955
5.0 cubic feet

Certificates of title, inspection reports, correspondence regarding sales, specifications, and accident reports for trucks, wagons, and other fire apparatus. Includes reports of tests conducted prior to purchase.

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2801-05
Station House Records
1903-1981
6.0 cubic feet

This record series contains information about the physical structures and maintenance of the Seattle Fire Department station houses. Included are correspondence, memoranda, maintenance requests, architectural drawings, and photographs. The records also contain some correspondence related to personnel and community relations issues. Planning for new station houses is included for some of the stations. Correspondence ranges from issues such as fire horse manure piles to broken windows and includes a large body of correspondence related to leaking roofs, living quarters furnishings and furnaces. Thefts and personnel issues constitute a smaller portion of the correspondence. The files are organized by station house number as designated by the Fire Department.

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2801-06
Newsletter
1964-1981
0.8 cubic foot

Monthly departmental newsletter.

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2802-01
Personnel Pocket Cards
1890-1970
4.0 cubic feet

Summary and index to department personnel files. Includes demographic data on employees and brief notes on personnel actions.

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2802-02
Union Records
1966-1975
1.0 cubic foot

Correspondence, meeting minutes, agreements and contracts, and negotiation and arbitration files maintained by the department relating to the Firefighters Union Local 27.

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2802-03
Civil Service Department Correspondence
1895-1927
10 volumes

Correspondence and civil service forms relating to promotions, notices of appointment, separations, misconduct reports, injury reports, requests for certification, and returns to service.

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Volume List

2802-04
Conduct Reports
1904-1914
6 volumes

Reports to the Civil Service Department concerning conduct of men in each company. Filed monthly.

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Volume List

2804-01
Performance Record
1894-1906
4 volumes

Record of responses and actions taken at fire sites. Includes date, number of alarms, engine company, time alarm received, distance traveled to fire, amount of time at site, feet of hose laid, feet of ladder raised, gallons of chemicals used, casualties, and remarks. Arranged chronologically with monthly tallies.

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2804-02
Alarm Response Log
1919-1926
3 volumes

Chronological list of responses to alarms. Includes date, name and address of building or structure subject to alarm, and Fire Department officer on duty. Arranged by company.

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2805-01
Medic I and II Records
1971-1980
2.0 cubic feet

Correspondence, reports, training material, and public relations material relating to emergency medical services of the Fire Department. The Medic program was established to provide paramedic care for coronary cases.

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Folder List

2810-01
Record of Fire Losses and Insurance
1903-1911
2 volumes

Chronological list of fires including date, address of structure, owner, estimated amount of loss, and insurance coverage. Many entries are incomplete.

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2810-02
Fire Marshall's Correspondence
1902-1912
1.0 cubic foot

Correspondence, notices, and inspection reports regarding fire hazards, fire code violations, fire escapes, and other safety devices at Seattle homes and businesses. Includes orders to correct violations. This is almost exclusively the correspondence of Gardner Kellogg.

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2811-01
Estimates and Budgets
1890-1924
5 volumes

Copies of departmental budgets and estimates of expenditures.

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Volume List

2811-02
Record of Supplies Received and Disbursed
1894-1906
5 volumes

Record of supplies received by the department and then disbursed to respective engine companies. Includes vendor, description of supplies, quantity, and cost. Arranged chronologically.

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2811-03
Distribution of Claims
1908-1925
1 volume

Record of payments for equipment and supplies, building repair and maintenance, utilities, payroll, and other department expenses. Includes voucher number, name of payer, service or account type, and amount paid. Annual recapitulations are arranged by engine company and totaled by month.

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2811-04
Operating Expense Ledger
1894-1897
1 volume

Monthly list of operating expenses including small stores, feed, harness repair, chemicals, fuel, drugs and medicine, etc. Arranged by engine company.

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2811-05
Record of Expenses
1893
1 volume

Record of departmental expenses arranged chronologically with monthly recapitulation by fire company. Includes date, requisition number, item or supplies, cost, and company receiving it.

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2811-06
Monthly Appropriation Record
1911-1924
1 volume

Record of monthly expenditures for apparatus, equipment, supplies, maintenance, and services. Includes date; requisition, and voucher order numbers; and amount of order by type of expenditure.

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2811-07
Stable, Laundry, Chicken, Fireworks, and Sign Permit Index
1906-1911
1 volume

Two indexes. Fireworks and signs permit index for 1906 includes name of grantee and permit number. Index for stable, laundry and chicken permits for 1908-1911 includes grantee, date, and permit type.

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