Firehouse Talk: Tales from the Fire Service

Motor vehicle collisions kill about 40,000 of us every year in the United States.  Today's story is about one woman's close call and the off duty Dallas firefighter who rescued her from the flames when a collision left her unconscious in a car that was on fire.

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The year is 1978. A young kid from the projects rides his bicycle for miles. Parched, he stops at a fire station in search of a drink of water and his life is forever changed. 

Mark Berry is now a battalion chief with the Dallas Fire Department and our story starts with a fatal house fire he responded to just hours before our interview. 

Other topics covered: Mark's backstory, including growing up in the projects, being mentored by firefighters, playing college football, a stint in the NFL, returning to his first love (the fire department), and much more. 

Chief Berry currently serves as Battalion 6 in Oak Cliff. A long-time member of Special Operations, he also serves as a Task Force Leader on the Urban Search and Rescue Team. 

Photographs and additional information related to this episode are on the website at this link: FireHouseTalk - Chief Mark Berry

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You can contact me through this link FirehouseTalk - Contact

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This is part 2 of a kitchen table discussion about Dallas Fire Department history, Local 58, riding on open cab trucks, the 1936 Texas Centennial Expedition, a fatal accident, and making a big difference in the life of a young man who wandered into the fire station one day. 

Guests include Captain Don Howard, Captain Reuben Millsaps, Lieutenant Mike McLemore and Lieutenant Terry May.

You can see photographs related to this episode on the website at this link: 

https://www.firehousetalk.com/post/part-2-of-the-boys-from-local-58

Please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.

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This is part 1 of 2 and is a conversation with Captain Reuben Millsaps, Captain Don Howard and Lieutenant Mike McLemore of the Dallas Fire Department.  All three have been officers in the Dallas Firefighters Association, also known as Local 58.  

Some of the things we talk about are working at the old downtown stations (especially Station 18), fire station life, fire station characters, fatal fires, fire department history, and Local 58 history.

Part 2 will be out soon.

You can find photographs and a transcript on the website at FirehouseTalk.com

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Nearly 3 years ago I interviewed the longest serving uniformed member of the Dallas Fire Department, Battalion Chief Mike Jones  
You’d be hard pressed to find anyone in the fire service anywhere who fought as many battles, both on and off the fireground as Chief Mike Jones who was a tireless advocate for his troops, the department and the citizens. 
In the conversation that follows, we talk about his storied career.

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A fatal fire in 1981 left two Dallas firefighters dead.  In this episode (part 2), we look at the immediate aftermath, developments and long term consequences and also learn the cause of the fire.

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On August 21, 1981,  an early morning fire breaks out in a large Dallas home.  This is the story of the men who fought the fire and the tragic consequences of that incident.

This episode takes us through the day before and the day of the fire.  A future episode will delve into the aftermath of the fire, lessons learned, and changes that have been made since that time. 

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Following their long careers as firefighters  with the Dallas Fire Department, Byron Temple and Creston Whitaker join me, Mike Otto and Rett Blankenship to talk about their experiences.

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Pat Murphy worked for the Dallas Fire Department for 40 years before retiring as a Captain.  A gregarious character, he is well known and loved by all.  My co-host Mike Otto, museum docent Mike Hoskins and I sat down with Pat to discuss his career over a cup of coffee at the Dallas Firefighters Museum.  Pat mentions many firefighters in this episode, one of whom passed away recently, Mike Hyles, and this episode is dedicated to his memory.

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Chief Steve Abraira cut his teeth in Miami, Florida where he rose through the ranks to be the Assistant Chief of Operations. He then served as Chief of the Department in three different cities including Dallas Texas, Palm Bay Florida and Boston Massachusetts.  This is his story.

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