LAFIRE.COM
Los Angeles Fire Department
Historical Archive

Fire Station 43 Photo Gallery


The Fire Houses

10416 National Boulevard
10234 National Boulevard
3690 South Motor Ave
6/01/1923
9/27/1942
9/25/2007 to Present

Engine Company No. 43
10234 National Boulevard
 


Source: Captain Bob Foster Collection
Engine Company No. 43
10234 National Boulevard

June 22, 1941
"Under Construction"


Source: LAFD Photo Album Collection

Engine Company No. 43
10234 National Boulevard

September 27, 1942
"B" Platoon

Captain M. McAndrews
Jack Gordon
V. A. Rowley
E. Morris

 

  Date Opened September 27,1942
  Land Cost $   5,000.
  Building Cost $ 35,000.
  Sq.Ft. Floor Area

4,404

  Sq.Ft.  Site    103'x100'

10,848

  Planting Area

3,500

  Telephone Number

VErmont 8-9528

  Closed

September 25, 2007

 

Top Row:      A-Shift:  l-r;  Fireman D.L. Cirlos, 1923;  Fireman Operator (Staff Assistant), J.H. Jonathan, 1937;  Fireman John O. Powell, 1929;  Fireman Carl Clark, 1925;  Fireman Robert J. Schenk, 1932;  Engineer Wm. N. Stevenson, 1935;  Captain Alvin L. Nelson, 1922;  Battalion Chief James F. Martin, 1924. 

Bottom Row:  B-Shift  l-r;  Fireman Bertram J. Aspinall, 1925;  Fireman Jack Gordon, 1937;  Engineer Raymond Gail, 1935;  Fireman Joe B. Bull, 1924;  Captain John C. Willis, 1927.



Off the Reading Room is a well-equipped
Kitchen with Spotless Fixtures

Engine 43's

By Searle Bennett

Many a Bride Would Envy the
Modern Convenience of this Home

  "One of the nicest houses in the City." say the firemen who visit Engine 43's new home, which is certainly no understatement.  The glass brick in the recreation room is one of the feature attractions.  The brick are highly ornamental and provide ample light for study or other reading.  The modern kitchen, with built-in range and refrigerator, opens off the recreation room  making a very convenient arrangement.  On the other side of the apparatus floor, beginning at the front of the house, there are private quarters for the officer, next a light and airy dormitory, locker room with plenty of lockers, at the rear a fine up to the minuet wash room.  Most of the rooms have Venetian blinds and the whole house is heated by air forced across hot water pipes form the 200 gallon storage tank. The only drawback is the single-wall handball court.

                    Crew Members
     Let me introduce you to the crew.  Top row left to right:  A Shift, Fireman D. L. Cirlos of 1923 vintage;  Fireman (operator) J. H. Jonathan, '37;  Fireman John O. Powell, '29;  Fireman Carl Clark, '25;  Fireman Robert J. Schenk, '32  (recently made Auto-fireman, soon to be Captain);  Engineer Wm. N. Stevenson, '35;  Captain Alvin L. Nelson, '22;  Batt. Chief James F. Martin, '24;  Bottom row:  B Shift, left to right, Fireman Bertram J. Aspinall, '25;  Fireman Jack Gordon, '37;  Engineer Raymond Gail (another potential Captain) '35;  Fireman Joe B. Bull, '24;  Captain John Wills, '27.

                          
Old Station
    The old quarters at 11416 National Boulevard (rented) were abandoned at 12:30 p.m.,

September 27, 1941, in favor of the new place at 10234 National.  You probably know that 43's is located at

   Palms.  The old quarters were pretty bad.  For one thing when an alarm came in someone had to hunt around for a string to pull the lights on as there were no gong lights.  The alarms were received by word of mouth, fire phone and grapevine, which calls to mind, one time the late Joe Janulaw answered the grapevine and when told that there was a fire at a certain address, misunderstood and replied "there is no such person here--never heard of him--he must work at some other engine house."  The frantic caller wouldn't hang up so after some further argument Joe turned the phone over to the Captain with the comment "this guy must be nuts, see what you can do with him."  To make the story complete I should add that Joe didn't answered the grapevine any more.  All this is changed now.  The fire phone is connected to the Westlake alarm bureau by which means they receive all the alarms over the area from Culver City to Beverly Hills and from Robertson Boulevard to Venice.

    The house is not the only nice part at 43's.  They have one of these new cab-over-engine jobs by Kenworth-United with a 6-cylinder, 240 horse Hall-Scott motor, 1000 gallon pump, 100 gallon booster tank, metal ladders, etc.  There is still more, the local chamber of commerce says, they have the most healthful climate in Southern California and the local water has lots of sulfur in it.  If you think it is a nice set-up, just try to bump one of the boys--they will have you executed.


Modern Glass Bricks Permit Healthful Reading Light

Page 10                                                                                                        The Fireman's Grape Vine

 

Source: The Fireman's Grape Vine, June 1942
 


Source: LAFD Photo Album Collection
 

Fire Station 43

September, 1941


Source: LAFD Photo
 

Fire Station 43

April 3, 1944


Source: Jayne Maureen McKnight, (daughter of Fireman James Wayne McKnight),
                                                                          (grand daughter of Engineer James Harry McKnight).
 

Engine Company 43

May 11, 1964
 

Engineer Kenneth Bennett
Captain Reagan (in jump seat)
Fireman James Wayne McKnight
(on right side of tail board.)



MGM FIRE


Source: Chuck Madderom Collection

Fire Station 43

1977


LAFIRE.COM
Copyright 2000 All Rights Reserved.