SEATTLE FIRE DEPARTMENT HISTORICAL TERMS 

“THE HITCH” – If you have been hired into the Seattle Fire Department within the past two years, you might not be familiar with this term.  At 0700 hours, the firehouse bell was sounded to alert the horses to move to their positions in front of the fire apparatus and prepare to receive their yoke and harness which was dropped from above.  This was a drill to keep the horses well trained.  The firefighters would “HITCH” up the horses to the apparatus, thus the 0700 HITCH. 

“WATCH” and WATCH DESK JOURNAL – The firehouse had a “watchtower” that was used by the firefighters to look for smoke, which would indicate a fire.  They would take turns in 2 hour increments.  At the end of their tour, they would enter into the WATCH DESK JOURNAL the time and the words “All Clear” if they had observed no fire.  If a fire was spotted, the approximate location, time, and action taken would be entered into the journal.  The next person relieving the prior would sign in, appropriately relieving them of their WATCH.  The term “watchtower” dissolved when the telegraph alarm-boxes were installed throughout the city negating the need for an aerial view.

“HOSE TOWER” – The cotton fabric of hoses used in the late part of earlier centuries and until middle of the last would mildew when wet so they were hung in the watchtower to dry.  The actual term “HOSE TOWER” replaced the term watchtower after the box alarms were installed.  The term “HOSE TOWER” still exists among us and is used for hose drying still today.  The reason that we still hang the rubber lined hose of today is because the water was found to react with the rubber lining forming sulfuric acid.

“CLEANING THE UNDERSIDE OF APPARATUS” – The firefighters lived upstairs in the firehouse above the horses.  The smell of manure would rise above to the firefighter’s quarters causing a strict cleaning regime for the stalls.  But for some reason the smell persisted.  Further study concluded that the odor was coming from horse manure caked onto the underside of the apparatus.  To solve this odor problem the practice of cleaning the apparatus underside after each alarm was established.  This practice was tradition in Seattle for about 95 years until it was discontinued in the early 1980’s. (Ask some old drivers about this, they will be happy to tell you.)

“THE BEANERY” – This term that is still alive and well in our rich tradition and was applied as a name for the kitchen.  Because of low wages, the firefighters could often only afford to buy beans for their meal.  Beans were cheap and provided a high source of protein.  The procedure was to soak the beans overnight and simmer them all day long…..thus the term “BEANERY”.

“THIRD RAIL” – When telephones first appeared in the firehouse the chief did not want them upstairs with the crews.  Two rails located on the ground floor restrained the horses.  The fictitious term “THIRD RAIL” was created to designate the phone’s location on the far side of the horse’s two rails.  Thus the firefighters, when using the phone, would be close to the horses and the apparatus.  The phone was mounted on a board that someone called the “THIRD RAIL”.  This term continues to be used today in 2008 for personal calls not on the main phone.