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History
of the Baltimore County First and foremost, please note that this is a work-in-progress. If you have names, dates, and events pertinent to this growing collection, please mail (see below) or email them to Elizabeth at the Union Office ... and thank you!
Proudly displayed in our Hall is a photograph of the original officers holding the IAFF's Grant of the Certificate of Affiliation to the Baltimore County Fire Fighters Association, Local No. 934, Baltimore County, Maryland, from 1949. Pictured are:
A conversation with Donald Warren: "Back then when I was a member Bill Seitz was the president and George Uphoff was the Secretary-Treasurer. They met down in Dundalk when I came in, in some organization's (lodge's?) hall off of Baltimore Avenue. Back in the early 50's I was president for a time, which was right at the time we were forced out. They had the battalion chiefs talking with you about it. It came down the line that we were not to meet anymore. Nothing [officially] from the county administration - just the word filtered down. When we had the problems with the county forcing down on us, I decided the best thing to do was to get out because I didn't want to lose the job. I needed the job, so I did get out. It must have been all before '54. I didn't keep my card. I thought my job was more important to me at that time than to belong to the local where you weren't wanted. Back then the county could do anything to you. They could say goodbye to you and that was it. They did put the pressure on. "The first couple years [of my career, I] was in the old station in Towson (Allegheny & Joppa). They went in the new station in 1955. We didn't have high rises at that time; most fires were supermarkets, houses, and fields & woods fires. [When Local 1311 was formed] I was an officer, a lieutenant; I didn't have anything against the union but just didn't go back in at that time. "After I retired I rejoined the union. I came in July 8, 1948. I was the first one in my family to get in the fire department; there were more to follow: my brother Horace joined, my three nephews (Gary Warren and Wayne & Larry Trump), and my great nephew (Mark Trump) all came in. I retired January 1, 1977, after over 28-1/2 years."
A conversation with Phil Schubert: "Did I ever tell you about when I came into the Department? You had to be a registered Democrat back then. Only one came in before me that was a Republican, and that was John Eberts who had connections with George McCullough with the Lansdowne Volunteers. John was a co-Captain with me at 13. When I turned 21 I had to wait for the polls to open and registered as a Democrat. That night the phone rang, and I was at the dinner table with my folks. 'Schubert? Chief Maisel! You register today?' 'Yes, sir.' Next morning he picked me up in the chief's car, but first we went in to see the three county commissioners. They said, 'Son, did you register yesterday?' 'Yes sir.' 'As a Democrat?' 'Of course.' Now my father was a little into politics back then. They said, 'Philip, is your father with us in the upcoming election?' 'One hundred fifty percent.' 'Okay, Fritz' [they said to the Chief], and they swore me in. I went in the next day. I didn't even have a uniform yet, but I did have fire department clothes because I practically lived at the station since I was four. I went to Woodlawn [Station 3, now], and in six weeks I only went out [on calls] two times. One time was a tank wagon that turned over. One day I'm there painting the running boards, 'cuz we didn't have anything else to do, we had to keep busy, and I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was Chief Maisel. He said, 'We've got a lot of sickness down in Halethorpe; how about going down there for a while.' I said, 'Sure but I want to come back.' 'Okay, just go for a couple of weeks.' 'Two days later, I called the Chief and said, 'Chief, I really like it, can I stay?' 'You want to stay there?' 'Yes, sir.' 'Sure.' "Even then it was a real fire department. To be there with the long hours, you had to love it. Five 10-hour days. On that 5th day you got off at 6 p.m. exactly. At 6 pm the next night, 24 hours later, you were right back in, and worked five nights 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. A lot of guys in the Retired Association worked those hours. Donald Warren and Abe Light and George Klein. Time off? You got four days before July 1 and four days after July 1. It was a long time before we got more time off. They only had two battalions back then - 1 was was the West side, and 2 was the East side. There were just nine stations. No ladder trucks. Five people on an engine. Catonsville, Towson, and Essex were always two engines. When they built the new Dundalk station it was two [engines], too. They had the first ladder truck - a Seagrave 65', which ended up going to Towson. "But I loved every minute of it! I went in June 6, 1950. I retired July 1, 1986."
Again, this is a work-in-progress. It is a project which was initially started when we first created our web presence, but which got laid by the wayside. Now we want to fill this page with real life stories and the drama of our union's history. Please feel free contribute. If you are a Retired or Life member who would rather dictate your recollections, call Elizabeth at the Union Office! To continue reading about the second chapter of our history, Local 1311, click here. You are Visitor #
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BALTIMORE
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